3 things to know about Kevin Sumlin, Texas A&M’s head coach

In five years as a head coach, Sumlin’s teams have faced a top 25 opponent 11 times. Sumlin is 8-3 in those games, including a 4-2 record last season. He hasn’t merely feasted on the lower-ranked teams, either: Sumlin’s teams are undefeated in two games against top 5 opponents and 3-1 against the top 15. His only loss to a top 20 opponent was last season’s defeat at No. 6 LSU.

Alabama, of course, is ranked No. 1 entering Saturday’s game against Sumlin’s Aggies, just as they were last season when A&M knocked the Tide off in Tuscaloosa. To the outside world, it was a monumental upset. For Sumlin, it was par for the course.

Sumlin’s spread offense credentials are impeccable. He played linebacker at Purdue for then-defensive coordinator Joe Tiller, and followed Tiller through stops at Washington State, Wyoming, and Purdue in his early years as a position coach. But it wasn’t until Sumlin joined Bob Stoops’ staff at Oklahoma, that his offense truly took off. With Sumlin and current Indiana coach as co-coordinators, the Sooners won back-to-back Big 12 titles. In his final season, Oklahoma led the nation in scoring.

Sumlin left the Sooners for the head coach positon at Houston and, with his system and Art Briles’ recruits, averaged 41 points per game in his first year. By his fourth and final season with the Cougars, Sumlin’s offense was scoring more than 49 points per game. Even in the mighty SEC, Sumlin managed to score 44 points per game last season. In his five years as a head coach, his teams have scored less than 40 points per game only once (37.7 ppg with Houston in 2010). And this year’s Aggies have shown no signs of stopping, scoring 52 on Rice and 65 on Sam Houston State in the season’s first two weeks.

Sumlin, more than almost any other head coach, has effectively used social media to his advantage in recruiting and fan relations. He instagrams pictures of practice as well as his interaction with Aggie fans. He’s mastered the art of the retweet. He even has his own catchphrase.

He needs to work on executing the direct message, though:

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