Sumlin era begins for Texas A&M football

Courtesy of the Houston Chronicle

By BRENT ZWERNEMAN, COLLEGE STATION BUREAU

Published 11:30 p.m., Monday, December 12, 2011

DAVE McDERMAND: ASSOCIATED PRESS MAROON MOMENT: Newly appointed Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin, right, is outfitted in his team's colors Monday. Photo: Dave McDermand / Bryan-College Station Eagle

 COLLEGE STATION - Texas A&M sophomore linebackerDamontre Moore, fierce on the field but a gentle giant in dress shoes, strolled into Monday's introductory press conference for Kevin Sumlin as curious as anyone in a packed Hagner Auditorium. By the end of what amounted to more of a spirited welcome back from well-wishers than a media Q&A, Moore could be counted among the believers in the Aggies' dynamic new leader.

"I'm willing to go with whatever he says," a smiling Moore said.

One down, about half a million Aggies to go. Sumlin, officially hired Saturday from the University of Houston, knows A&M football has hovered around .500 over the past decade under three different coaches - and that was in the Big 12. The Aggies are set to enter the rugged Southeastern Conference next season, and even the most ardent supporters realize there are plenty of questions to answer in the coming seasons for the SEC's Lone Star addition.

"He's a very, very good hire," said A&M's lone Heisman Trophy winner, John David Crow, who attended the Sumlin introduction. "We'll have to find out if he's the right guy or not going into the SEC.

"It's a big step for us, and it's a big step for him."

Neither A&M nor Sumlin has any experience in the SEC. But it's a step Sumlin is eager to take.

"This is a transitional time," he said. "We're excited about going into the SEC and playing football.

"I'm not coming here to lose; I'll put it that way."

A&M athletic director Bill Byrne said Sumlin will earn $2 million annually over five years. His predecessor, Mike Sherman, was hired four years ago for $1.8 million annually over seven years. School president R. Bowen Loftin fired Sherman on Dec. 1 following a 25-25 record over four seasons (including a 6-6 regular season this year).

No stranger to program

Sumlin, 47, served as R.C. Slocum's offensive coordinator over the last three-fourths of the 2002 season, before Slocum was fired following a 6-6 finish. Slocum's successor, Dennis Franchione, was 32-29 over five seasons before he was fired after the 2007 regular season.

Behind freshman quarterback Reggie McNeal, Sumlin did wonders in a short time with Slocum's offense in 2002 and nearly saved Slocum's job. Sumlin then moved on to Oklahoma, where he worked his way up to co-offensive coordinator under Bob Stoops. Sumlin, pushed by some Aggies for the A&M gig prior to the hiring of Sherman, turned in a 35-17 mark at UH in his first tenure as a head coach.

"One of the things I always look for when meeting coaches is 'fit,' " Byrne said. "I'm concerned about whether they fit the university and its values and culture.

"We talked for about 21/2 hours, and time just flew by. I knew we had someone who not only understood the values of A&M but embraced them."

Won't coach bowl

The Aggies will play Northwestern on New Year's Eve in the Meineke Car Care Bowl at Reliant Stadium under defensive coordinator/interim coach Tim DeRuyter. Sumlin said it's too early to determine who might be retained from A&M's current staff and that it's important for the players to have "continuity" going into the bowl.

Sumlin added that he intends to "hit the ground running" on the recruiting front and keep Sherman's touted 2012 class, ranked sixth nationally by Rivals.com, intact. Like Moore, linebacker Jonathan Stewart had a favorable first impression of his new coach - and said Sumlin's confidence about heading into the SEC stood out.

"You can tell he knows what he wants to do with this program," Stewart said. "He wants to take us to the next level and make us a premier program in the SEC West."

Make that two down, about half a million Aggies to go.

brent.zwerneman@chron.com twitter.com/brentzwerneman