Kevin Sumlin arrived at Texas A&M with a lot of hype and huge expectations. Fresh off of a successful run at Houston, he took over the Aggies football program as they were just beginning their SEC membership. He found immediate success with an 11-2 first season behind the strong arm of Johnny Manziel. Since then, however, the program has settled into a very predictable pattern of starting strong before sputtering to an eight- or nine-win finish. Those are great numbers for many programs, but not A&M and not based on what Sumlin came here to do.
And so, despite a 47–22 overall record, he finds himself firmly on the hot seat in his sixth season at the helm. Not that it has to be this way. School administrators could have given Sumlin some kind of vote of confidence in order to assuage concerns. However, Texas A&M officials have done anything but.
Athletic director Scott Woodward is already on the record in saying Sumlin “knows he has to win and he has to win this year.” However, A&M chancellor John Sharp was asked Friday about Sumlin’s job security and instead of providing his head coach with any kind of backing, even the fake kind that usually coincides with the “vote of confidence,” he passed the buck in the most awkward of fashions.
"Is Kevin Sumlin's job safe?"
John Sharp, TAMU chancellor: "I'm not the athletic director." #gigem #TAMU pic.twitter.com/ElmLtKzBoE— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 29, 2017
That’s the chancellor of the university saying he’s “not the athletic director,” as if he has no say in whether or not the school’s highest-paid employee remains employed.
He did add “I like Kevin. Nice guy,” so at least there’s that.
Nice guy or not, Sumlin better beat Bama in a couple weeks or else it sounds like his fate is sealed.