It’s not exactly a secret that Kevin Sumlin’s seat on the throne at A&M is getting very hot. He’s got a 44-21 record in 5 seasons, which seems good until you realize that he’s gone 21-19 in SEC play. It seems even worse when you factor in that for two seasons he’s had Johnny Manziel, one of the best quarterbacks in the history of college football, and the Aggies have never finished higher than second in the SEC West.
What is surprising is hearing an athletic director give an honest assessment of where a coach is at, but yesterday Scott Woodard, the A&M athletic director, gave a sobering point of view on exactly where Sumlin is at.
Texas A&M AD Scott Woodward didn't mince words on Finebaum today. "Coach knows he has to win and he has to win this year." #12thMan pic.twitter.com/Qopj1oV1rB
— Colin Deaver (@ColinDeaverTV) May 30, 2017
In college football, ADs are famous for giving the dreaded “vote of confidence”, which almost always means that the coach is going to be fired.
Sumlin’s overall record is fantastic, but what the raw numbers won’t tell you is the Aggies’ late season struggles that have caused frustration among their fanbase. For the past three years, A&M has gone 8-5, starting the season off incredibly strong, but eventually falling into a tailspin that has eerily began with a loss in October to a ranked opponent all three years, then inevitably turns into a November slump.
The Aggies have had fantastic recruiting during this period, which only adds to the frustration. They’ve had a ridiculous run of talented NFL draftees and a slew of nationally ranked recruiting classes. Simply put, with the level that A&M’s recruiting at, the product on the field should be better, no questions asked.
The Aggies will kick off next season at the Rose Bowl against UCLA, and this time, it’s clear that Kevin Sumlin will be coaching for his job at Texas A&M.
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