Yeah, yeah...20 years ago people were saying the same things about Baton Rouge. The right coach can make all the difference. You just keep on with the sour grapes though.
I was at the Rice game after Briles left for Baylor, and the Rice coach had just left for Tulsa which has a religous affiliation just like Baylor. At half-time they were cracking some jokes over the PA. "The only thing more holy than the schools that they left for are their defenses". Hahaha! I am hoping that Kevin ends up at The University of Houston. I think some of the factors playing into his decision are whether UH accepts the Big East bid, whether the Big East will be an AQBCS conference, how stupid the Aggies are if they overlook Kevin, and whether or not ASU and other schools are offering. The only incentive for Kevin to stay and coach without announcing his decision is to coax more money from his eventual employer. I would believe he could get more with a BCS bowl win on his resume.
Anyone think that Kevin Sumlin as ATM's coach in the SEC will struggle mightly? I can see Sumlin's above average offense getting cancelled out by the SEC better defensive teams. Not to mention how Sumlin's below average defense will fare.
And thats why they are hiring a head coach.... LSU, OREGON, USC, NEBRASKA, etc are some of the schools that had hit rough spots. It all goes in cycles they have everything it takes to join the elite. Their team this year was stacked they underpeformed thus Sherman is gone...
Urban Meyer had above average offenses and below average defenses at Utah and did just fine in the SEC. They are both offensive head coaches - the defense is going to be almost entirely a result of their choices of defense coaches. You can hire a much better coaching staff when you have the funds of an SEC school as opposed to a Utah or Houston.
Sumlin doesn't measure up to Urban Meyer. I also think it's easier to win in the SEC at Florida than at A&M. Count me in the group that says Sumlin will indeed struggle mightily at A&M if he goes there. But I can't blame him for accepting the challenge (and salary).
Sure - that's easy to say now because Meyer has proven himself at the highest level. But when Meyer's success was still only at Utah and Bowling Green, he wasn't really much more proven than Sumlin is now. Both were head coaches for 4 years, culminating in a BCS bid. Meyer was never even a coordinator - he had only been a position coach, but he did have a bit more success in his 4 years as HC. Sumlin has much more experience at major programs, having spent most of his career in BCS conferences. I'm not saying Sumlin will be the next Urban Meyer. All I'm saying is that certain types of experience (SEC, head coaching) is highly overrated. Bob Stoops came straight from being a defensive coordinator to build offensive juggernauts at Florida. Gene Chizik came from a total failure at Iowa State to win a BCS title at Auburn. Jim Tressel went directly from I-AA Youngstown State to Ohio State. There are a ton of different routes to being a great HC. I have no idea if Sumlin will be that, but I think it's much smarter to go with someone innovative and different than just trying to be an Alabama-lite.
Yeah, I'd have taken Smart. Aggies never branch out though. Sigh. I wonder who Byrne would have wanted if he's not behind this hiring. Seems like a Byrne hire though. *if it happens, lulz if Summy loses today.
Petersen makes like $300,000 or something ridiculous. What's his deal? I think he saw his mentor get his butt handed to him at Colorado and decided to stay for life.
