So here I am at the Heisman dinner...

[PantherFanz]

Well actually I just happen to be in New York this week staying at the Hilton in midtown that is also host to the Heisman festivities. It is midnight and I just got back from a jam session with Les Paul. I am wearing my Panther leather jacket and waiting for my elevator when this man in tux walks by and sees the jacket. He tells me to follow him into the party and he will buy me a drink for wearing the colors. Next thing you know I am sitting at the bar next to Eli Manning who is trying to get Andre Ware to sign his football. The guy who let me crash the party looks familiar to me and only tells me his name is Kevin and he is currently at Oklahoma. We talk for a bit and he is talking about how terrible the Panther offense is yet likes Fox. Next thing he says to look for him in Carolina next season to help them score points. Jason White and some others come up and grab him and away he goes.

I get back to my room and find out this guy is Kevin Sumlin and is the Sooners TE coach. Also was offensive coordinator at Texas A&M and had several other stops in the coaching ranks.

So to anyone with connections out there, anyone else heard of some rumours about staff changes being made this offseason to the offensive side of the ball?

 

[Wp28]

Mmade some calls and checked my notes.

Can't make a connection, he's coached both offense and defense though if he said "to help us score points" I'd have to believe he'd be on offense. I can't see him stepping into Hennings place right off the bat but certainly a case could be made for Williams retiring. Sumlin is ru mored to be "on the move" and a "very bright young mind" would be interesting. gives us a whole new scouting angle if in fact it happens. I'll keep digging

 

[magnus]

Certainly, I feel that Kevin's a quality coach, and I made note of that when he was hired out to Arizona, likely to be their OC.

 

[Wp28]

did he follow Stoops?

I knew their was speculation he would go with Stoops to Arizona but did he go?

 

[magnus]

I had assumed he would be going. Obviously there's a game to be played before then, and I'd guess that he'll coach that game.

 

[hasbeen99]

From soonersports.com

Courtesy: SoonerSports.com
Release: 05/20/2003

Kevin Sumlin, formerly the offensive coordinator at Texas A&M, has been named an assistant coach on the University of Oklahoma's football staff. He will coach the Sooner tight ends.

Following a coaching change at A&M, Sumlin spent the last month on the staff at Colorado. Prior to that, he spent two years as the Aggies' assistant head coach and receivers coach. He also served as offensive coordinator for the last nine games of the 2002 season.

Sumlin was named assistant head coach and receivers at Texas A&M in 2001. When former coach R.C. Slocum made staff reassignments after the third game last fall, Sumlin moved into the offensive coordinator role. Prior to the switch, the Aggies had scored just 48 points in three games (16.0 per game), but afterwards, A&M put 297 points on the board, or 33.0 per contest. The offense averaged 419 yards per game after averaging 286 in the first three contests.

Sumlin lettered four years as a linebacker at Purdue from 1983-86, ending his career ranked in the top 10 all-time in tackles by a Boilermaker. He walked on as a freshman, made 91 tackles and earned mention on Sports Illustrated?s All-America walk-on list. He earned honorable mention All-Big 10 honors as a sophomore (109 tackles) and as a senior (114, which ranked fifth in the league). He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in criminology and criminal justice from Purdue in 1988.

He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Washington State in 1989, helping on defense with the linebackers, and coached the junior varsity team his second season with the Cougars.

His first full-time position was as wide receivers coach with Wyoming in 1991-92, moving on to a similar position with Minnesota, where he spent four seasons (1993-96) coaching the receivers. In 1997, he became the quarterbacks coach at UM. He returned to his alma mater in 1998, coaching receivers at Purdue for three years (1998-2000). His 1998 group set school records with 377 receptions, 4,208 yards and 43 touchdowns. Sumlin is a native of Brewton, Ala. He is married to the former Charlene Sirois, and the couple has three small children, two girls and boy.

 

[Sackem90]

Re: From soonersports.com

Originally posted by hasbeen99
Courtesy: SoonerSports.com
Release: 05/20/2003

Sumlin was named assistant head coach and receivers at Texas A&M in 2001. When former coach R.C. Slocum made staff reassignments after the third game last fall, Sumlin moved into the offensive coordinator role. Prior to the switch, the Aggies had scored just 48 points in three games (16.0 per game), but afterwards, A&M put 297 points on the board, or 33.0 per contest. The offense averaged 419 yards per game after averaging 286 in the first three contests.

Hoo, boy! That's EXACTLY what we need! It's time for this fellow to move up to the main picture show!

 

[hasbeen99]

Originally posted by Sackem90
Hoo, boy! That's EXACTLY what we need! It's time for this fellow to move up to the main picture show!

That was my feeling, too. I'm just wondering if whatever he did at A&M will translate to the NFL, though. That's quite a leap.

 

[McFly41]

I could see Sumlin as a Position coach, but not an OC yet. Not at the Pro level anyway.
OC at AZ wouldn't be at all far fetched though.

 

[magnus]

Sumlin as a WRs coach would be incredible, if Williamson is stepping down. Would give us an inside on an OC in a couple years. Honestly, his age doesn't scare me, nor his experience. If they dropped him in as OC right now I wouldn't be disappointed. Still need a QBs coach no matter what.