http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/2011/12/1/2602874/texas-am-coach-mike-sherman-news Sherman may be fired already...
A&M is a nice little potential graveyard for coaching careers. Irrationally high expectations combined with not as many resources as one would believe, now mixed with a bunch of SEC style sharks, ready to go to any length$ to succeed.....not a good combo.
TAMU offered the extension expecting a big season. Sherman declined it expecting a big season. TAMU tried to buy low with security, Sherman probably wanted leverage in the future. If you believe in yourself its a move you have to make.
A TAMU-level program is about the best Tressel can probably hope for, but I don't think he wants the SEC.
I like Sumlin... but I don't want him. I'd like to see a defensive oriented hire for once. SEC experience welcomed. TAMU is the better gig over ASU, but Sumlin can probably contend a whole lot quicker with ASU than TAMU. A bad stint in College Station will set his career back, I could see him turning it down.
Turns out Sherman signed it, Loftin did not sign it when passed along to him in late October. Sumlin will be the next coach if he wants it.
Kirby Smart is the safe pick. Cheaper, SEC experience, defensively minded. I simply cannot see Sumlin at ASU unless they're going to crack the 3 million mark for him, which, until these rumors came out, seemed like absolute lunacy to suggest. My guess is ASU floated all this stuff to force A&M's hand, and it worked. My guess is A&M will make their decision, then it will be ASU's move. What gives me hope is that 1) A&M may be tired of the Slocum pipline and 2) ASU may price A&M out of the bidding. A&M may also not want to wait until after the Sugar Bowl (god willing) to bring in their next HC. So if that is the case, and Sumlin makes it past A&M's decision, I'm guessing he stays here, because I can't see ASU making good on this 4 million dollar rumor if A&M backs out. I think those numbers are just sabre rattling to scare off other suitors.
If you think Dick Justice and Pancakes are bad, Kirk Bohls is right there behind them. Take everything he says with a grain of salt.
I'm not sure if he will work there but I do think you guys should try something different. Sumlin should be able to attract a star QB to aTm and put points on the board. Hire an elite D cordinator and see what happens. It will be very odd to see KK on the aTm staff I'm sure sumlin would bring him...
Sumlin wouldn't be different. We've been going after offensive guys since we got rid of the staff with Tuberville. Sherman coached Brett Favre. He sent a backup QB to the NFL. He runs an NFL offense. Sumlin isn't attracting anyone better at QB than Sherman could have. You didn't see great QB's rushing to play for Leach at Tech.
Leach was able to compete with elite programs in the Big 12 and able to win 8-9 games a year b/c of spreading the field. Doing what everybody else was doing wasnt going to work at Tech since they were outmatched most of the time..... aTm is a simliar posistion they are behind LSU, Bama, Florida and maybe a few others. Chunking the ball around the field will give them a chance to pull an upset early. Leach didnt care about recruiting and its still Tech. aTm has better location etc to attract some of the best recievers QBs.... I'm not a Aggie I'm not sure if it will work but I do think it has huge upside for you guys just my thoughts....
I'd rather go after a defensive guy or seasoned coach and recruiter then bring in someone to run the offense. Its not hard to find good OC's and establish an offense. If we get Sumlin I wont cry about it though. I cried about Sherman.
Urban Meyer and Les Miles were offensive coaches. Nick Saban and Gene Chizik were defensive minded. Only Chizik had any SEC experience (DC at Auburn, but won with a crappy defense) and all won national titles within a few years at their first SEC school. Urban Meyer didn't even have any BCS conference experience. SEC experience is highly overrated - you just get good coaches and you can compete there, whether offensive or defensive minded. I can see A&M going for a defensive-minded just because teams tend to alternate styles - if they had an offensive coach, they get a defensive one, and vice-versa. But I'd suggest they just go for the best coach overall.
No sorry - his national title last year was with an offensive juggernaut. Auburn's defense last year was not good at all.
Chizik is actually a great example of how easy it can be to get an offense going. Auburn won a title and Chizik hadn't even put his stamp on the defense yet. They basically won a title without playing Chizik football. Edit -- I shouldn't have said easy. But definitely easier than defense IMO. You can either implement a good offensive scheme or bring in an elite player and get away with it. Auburn did both.
