Allen decries culture that may be shifting
COLLEGE STATION— Kevin Sumlin has long relied on animal imagery to outline his expectations for Texas A&Min the Southeastern Conference.
When the Aggies were preparing to enter the hardy SEC four years ago, Sumlin said if “you’re scared of that, then get a dog.” WhenA&Mthrived offensively in the first game of 2014 following the Johnny Manziel era, Sumlin vowed his program wasn’t a “one-trick pony.”
Two more furry beasts nowappear suitable for Sumlin’s Ark regarding the perception among many outsiders of A&M’s SEC success (or lack of): In like a lion (2012), piddling like a lamb (the seasons since). Is there truth to the perception? Anotable former player certainly didn’t help the fifth-year coach on that
front this week.
New University of Houston quarterback Kyle Allen, freshly transferred from A&M, described a culture of “I can do whatever the hell I want” among players under Sumlin, stemming from what Allen said was a leftover attitude from the merriment-seeking Manziel’s two seasons of 2012 and ’13.
“I think the culture was a big part of it, and I think that stems from Johnny’s era there — the way that they let Johnny and (others) act there,” Allen told CBSSports.com. “They (could) do that and still win games because they had Johnny … and five offensive linemen playing in the NFL right now.” Treading water lately
Allen is right in that A&Mhas regressed since Sumlin’s first season of 2012, when the Aggies finished 11-2 and fifth nationally and Manziel won the Heisman Trophy. With Manziel still quarterbacking but some of previous coach Mike Sherman’s veteran players having exhausted their eligibility, A&Mdropped to 9-4 in 2013. Two 8-5 seasons have followed, with Allen starting 14 games over the past two years as an accomplice to the ordinariness.
In an unparalleled move for a major program, both the sophomore Allen and freshman Kyler Murray transferred from A&Min the span of a week in midDecember.
Led by former thirdstringer Jake Hubenak, the Aggies fell to Louisville in the Music City Bowl on Dec. 30, and frustrated A&Mfans were left pondering the state of a program led by a coach making $5 million per year.
“For you to win in the SEC— especially the SEC West — 10 games a year and be a controlling powerhouse in that conference, you can’t have a bunch of people going different ways,” Allen told CBS Sports. “Everyone wasn’t in a straight line. Everyone was going this way, this way, this way.”
Fan and donor frustrations carried over to this month’s recruiting class when the Aggies missed on some long-time targets, including defensive lineman Mark Jackson and defensive back Brandon Jones, although A&M still ranked a respectable 16th nationally by Rivals. At the same time, Sumlin never really combatted an NFL Network story claiming he was trying to land an NFL job.
Is Allen, who has absorbed plenty of jabs from Aggies for “quitting” on his team prior to the bowl, correct in claiming A&M has or had “culture” issues around its program? Absolutely, but in the past year, they haven’t been as pronounced, based primarily on personnel moves. New sheriffs in town
The fun-loving Sumlin, never known as an authoritarian in the oldschool sense, has made three hires over the past two years that have added toughness and integrity to his program — especially the addition of grim-faced defensive coordinator John Chavis. The difference in attitudes and discipline on each side of the ball was marked this past season, with the defenders setting a solid example for their oft-loosey-goosey counterparts.
Sumlin in January dismissed offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, a cool breeze who at 30 wasn’t much older than his charges. Sumlin then hired Noel Mazzone, 58, from UCLA, and like Chavis, Mazzone doesn’t appear to be a coach who tolerates much tomfoolery.
Sumlin’s program also endured a string of arrests and some off-field troubles over the first couple of years of his tenure, but nearly two years ago he brought on straight arrow Mikado Hinson as the team’s director of player development, and off-field incidents since have nearly dwindled to zero.
While Sumlin was not reached on Wednesday — a growing normalcy for the self-sheltered coach — A&M’s sports information department responded to Allen’s “culture” charge by pointing out the Aggies’ 36-16 record over four seasons and the fact the team’s collective grade-point average of 2.71 is the highest in recorded school history.
The best way for A&M to combat accusations of a wayward program under Sumlin? Get in the mix for an SECWest title, something the Aggies haven’t done since 2012, when they were in their first swing through the SEC and Sumlin urged doubters to go dog shopping.
Moving forward, the onus is on Sumlin to prove Allen wrong and along the way quash any suggestions the Aggies have somehow been dogging it since Manziel moved on.