Kevin Sumlin is back on the sideline.
The Dallas Renegades announced Wednesday that they have hired the former SEC coach as their new head coach, bringing in a familiar name with a long college résumé and one previous run in the UFL. Sumlin, 62, spent the 2025 season away from football after two seasons as the University of Maryland’s associate head coach.
Sumlin’s coaching record from 2008-20 stands at 95-63, and his career includes one of Texas A&M’s biggest recent wins: the 2013 Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma. The Renegades are betting he can help them find that kind of success again.
His head coaching path started at Houston in 2008, where he helped develop Case Keenum, who became the NCAA’s all-time leading passer during his time with the Cougars. Sumlin went 35-17 there before moving to Texas A&M.
His first season in College Station was a splash. He brought Johnny Manziel to the Aggies and led Texas A&M to an 11-2 record in its first year in the SEC.
The stretch that followed was less consistent. Texas A&M finished 9-5 or 8-5 in each of Sumlin’s next four seasons, and he was fired after a 7-5 campaign in 2017. He left the Aggies with a 51-26 record.
Sumlin’s next stop was Arizona, where he struggled and finished 9-20 as the Wildcats’ head coach. His last stint as a head coach came in 2022 with the Houston Gamblers, where he went 3-7.
In Other News...
Texas A&M Suddenly Has A Receiver Problem At The Worst Time
Texas A&Ms receiving room is getting thin at exactly the wrong moment. Mario Craver is listed as questionable for the upcoming game against Arkansas after hurting his left ankle in the previous game, and the Aggies are already trying to navigate the rest of the season without Terry Bussey and Madden Williams.
Ashton Bethel-Roman is back off the injury report, but he has not made much of a mark this season, which leaves the Aggies with very little proven depth if Craver cannot go. For an offense that has already had to adjust around injuries, the timing only adds more uncertainty heading into a key SEC matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Texas A&M Faces A Defining Test That Could Shift Everything
Texas A&M is heading into a stretch that should say plenty about where the program stands right now, starting with Arkansas and followed by Missouri. Those are the kinds of games that can either steady a season or make the margins feel a lot tighter, especially for a team still looking to shape its identity as the schedule toughens.
Missouri, in particular, looms as the one that could carry the biggest ripple effect for the Aggies if they get there with momentum. The discussion around that matchup is already about what a win or loss might mean for the rest of the season and even how the program is viewed, which is why the next two weeks feel bigger than a typical run through the schedule. [Read more 🡒]
Marcel Reed Gets A Crucial Chance To Quiet Texas A&Ms Biggest Concern
Texas A&M has spent the opening stretch of the season trying to find some stability on offense, and the biggest question has centered on Marcel Reed. The Aggies are 2-2, Reed has battled accuracy issues, and his passing numbers have landed near the bottom nationally in several categories, leaving the quarterback situation as the clearest reason the unit has not yet clicked.
Arkansas, though, gives Reed a chance to change the conversation. The Razorbacks have struggled on the back end, allowing a high completion percentage and plenty of yards per pass, which could make this matchup a useful measuring stick for Texas A&Ms passing game. For Reed and the Aggies, the point is not just moving the ball better, but showing enough rhythm and confidence to suggest the offense can still find its way. [Read more 🡒]