Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin was placed in an awkward position this weekend when a school Board of Regents member posted on Facebook a lengthy screed criticizing him and demanding he be fired.
At a routine press conference Tuesday, Sumlin said all the right things about Buzbee’s comments, insisting that his focus was solely with the Aggies’ program. Via ESPN:
“People are frustrated. I’m frustrated about a lot of things,” Sumlin said. “I’m not real happy. I’m sure there are a lot of things being said about this program.
“Our focus is on us. That never changes. I’m not in the business of really paying attention to anything outside this program, or comments good or bad. My focus is on what we can do to be better. I don’t really have time to get involved in things that are said about the program or about me.”
Regent Tony Buzbee unleashed on Sumlin in a Facebook post following A&M’s embarrassing loss to UCLA on Sunday, in which the Aggies blew a 34-point lead. Buzbee wrote that his frustration with Sumlin has been simmering and that after the season-opening defeat, “Kevin Sumlin needs to GO.”
https://twitter.com/IDontRentPigs/status/904561051123011584
Though Buzbee made it sound as if he would have a vote in firing Sumlin, Texas A&M Board of Regents chairperson Charles Schwartz told ESPN the board can hire and fire only the chancellor of the A&M system.
Whether or not Sumlin deserves to hold onto his job, it is abundantly clear who has acted like an adult in the last 48 hours, and it is definitely not Tony Buzbee. That said, the Aggies play Nicholls State this coming Saturday, and if they somehow fail to win, Sumlin might have to answer to more than one angry regent.
[ESPN]
While the Regent should have kept it to himself, he did make a lot of good points. Sumlin is continually getting out coached. In a conference with outstanding coaches, this is not a good thing.