Former Texas A&M coach hired
Sumlin to serve as associate head coach and co-OC
Maryland football is adding a former head coach to its staff.
The Terps hired former Houston, Texas A&M and Arizona coach Kevin Sumlin as associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, the team announced Wednesday. The three-time national Coach of the Year finalist was most recently the head coach and general manager of the Houston Gamblers of the USFL, a professional spring football league.
Sumlin, 58, will help replace co-offensive coordinators Dan Enos, who became the offensive coordinator at Arkansas, and Mike Miller, who was hired as offensive coordinator at Charlotte under former Gilman and St. Frances coach Biff Poggi.
“Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff and I couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s joining our program,” Maryland fifth-year coach Mike Locksley said in a statement. “My relationship with Kevin goes back over 25 years. He has a tremendous football mind, along with a proven track record of developing players and winning at the highest levels. I’m excited to welcome him and his family to College Park.”
An Indianapolis native and former Purdue linebacker, Sumlin has spent more than three decades on the sidelines, including a 95-63 record as a head coach. He was named Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year in 2012, when he led Texas A&M to an 11-2 record and a memorable upset win over No. 1 Alabama with Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Johnny Manziel, and was a two-time Conference USA Coach of the Year at Houston, including a 12-1 record in 2011.
Before becoming head coach at Houston in 2007, Sumlin spent seven seasons as an assistant and offensive coordinator in the Big 12 Conference, including a stint as tight ends coach at Oklahoma under coach Bob Stoops.
At Maryland, Sumlin will be tasked with leading an offense that has been one of the best in the country in recent seasons under Locksley, a former offensive coordinator at Alabama.
The Terps have won bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time in a decade thanks in large part to the success of record-setting quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa. The Alabama transfer, who is returning for his redshirt senior season, was named second-team All-Big Ten in 2022 a year after setting program single-season records in passing yards (3,860), completions (328), completion percentage (.692) and passing touchdowns (26).
In winning eight games for the first time since 2010 last season, Maryland ranked fourth in the Big Ten in total offense and scoring, averaging 401.2 yards and 28.2 points per game. However, wide receivers Rakim Jarrett, Dontay Demus and Jacob Copeland and left tackle Jaelyn Duncan all declared for the NFL draft, while sophomore tight end C.J. Dippre transferred to Alabama, leaving several holes at key positions entering the 2023 season.