Bye Bye Coogs
Texas A&M lands its coach? Kevin Sumlin agrees in principle to deal, accordingto Big Ten source
Update: Kevin Sumlin met with the University of Houston players and only went over practice and holiday schedules according to a school spokesperson. CultureMap's Big Ten source maintains that Illinois officials were informed Wednesday that Sumlin is set to become the new coach at Texas A&M and it's all but a done deal.
If Sumlin leaves Houston now, he will look particularly callous for talking to his players like there was nothing but ordinary team business going on. It's hard to believe that Sumlin's job status never came up in the meeting — that no UH players asked despite reports of his upcoming departure having rocketed around the country since at least Saturday — either. But that's the version that is being given.
Some outlets maintain that Sumlin and Texas A&M have had the basis of a deal in place since Saturday, but Texas A&M officials have denied that and CultureMap's source says it only happened Wednesday.
Stay tuned for more updates.
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The courtship is over and Kevin Sumlin is all but signed, sealed and delivered to Texas A&M. Now, he just has to say goodbye.
Sumlin has agreed to become the football coach who will lead the Aggies into the SEC, a source in the Big Ten tells CultureMap. Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne and Sumlin came to an understanding on the basic parameters of a deal on Wednesday, even as Illinois tried to woo the University of Houston coach away to the Midwest instead. Now Sumlin's reps and Texas A&M have to agree to contract terms before any announcement.
At one point, it appeared Sumlin was set to accept the job at Illinois instead — with speculation flying that he would be named the new Fighting Illini coach by Thursday morning. CultureMap's Big Ten source doesn't think it actually got quite that far with the Illini however. It's uncertain if those reports prompted Texas A&M to quicken the pace of its own pursuit.
AggieYell.com first reported that Sumlin and A&M were on the verge of a deal.
Sumlin scheduled a team meeting with the Houston players he will be leaving behind for Wednesday night, according to KHOU. It's expected by many that Sumlin will inform the Cougars he is headed to College Station, just hours after Big East officially announced that UH is one of its newest members.
For more details, stay tuned to CultureMap.
