If you were to replace Kevin Sumlin with Chad Morris at Texas A&M

[The_Bionic_Pig]

with the exact roster do you believe they are still a 8 win team the past 3yrs?

Coach Chavis although not my first choice would improve our current Defense to respectability  but never to a LSU dominant stature many moons ago....but enough to allow Coach Morris to get to 8-9 wins each year and a appearence in Atlanta every 4-5 yrs.

[Wildhog]

No one has ever seen Morris win more than seven games in a season, so it's hard to say.

[bphi11ips]

No one has ever seen Morris win more than seven games in a season, so it's hard to say.

Morris averaged over 10 wins per year for sixteen years at large public Texas high schools.  He has been successful wherever he has been.  The continuing BS about his record at SMU is just that - BS. 

[NuttinItUp]

No one has ever seen Morris win more than seven games in a season, so it's hard to say.

Clemson?

[King Kong]

Probably not. I don't believe A&M is even close to the sleeping Giant people think it is

However, Jimbo was an impressive get and I'm not even a huge Jimbo guy

[King Kong]

Clemson?

Winning games as OC is not the same a winning as a HC

[NuttinItUp]

Winning games as OC is not the same a winning as a HC

True. He won a lot as HC of his high school.

He improved SMU a lot from the season before he took over.

This leads me to believe that he would have improved Texas A&M's team and will improve our team. All signs point to that he will do so.

[King Kong]

True. He won a lot as HC of his high school.

He improved SMU a lot from the season before he took over.

This leads me to believe that he would have improved Texas A&M's team and will improve our team. All signs point to that he will do so.

I hope he does and I think it's possible he does

[root_hawg]

I won alot of games as the coach of a 12 yr old traveling football team, does that mean I would mean more than 8 at Texas Am?  Noone knows what this coach is going to do so quit speculating and wait till next year and don't get your panties in a wad if someone doesn't agree with your assessment.

[rtr]

Bielema never did out-bama bama but he did out aggie aggie.

[bphi11ips]

I won alot of games as the coach of a 12 yr old traveling football team, does that mean I would mean more than 8 at Texas Am?  Noone knows what this coach is going to do so quit speculating and wait till next year and don't get your panties in a wad if someone doesn't agree with your assessment.

The OP's question is silly. So is the negative post I replied to. Chad Morris's record as a foot all coach is impressive. Period.

[Albert Einswine]

Winning games as OC is not the same a winning as a HC

Not according to the Gus cult.

[NoogaHog]

It is hard to say. Sumlin took over a pretty good Houston program from Art Briles in 2008. He then went 8-5, 10-4, and 5-7 his first 3 years. He then rode Keenum to a 12-1 year and parlayed that into the aTm job. It is hard to say what Sumlin would have done if he had followed Jones at SMU. Jones didn't recruit and spent the off season in Hawaii his last 2 years.

[NoogaHog]

So I guess that begs the question: is Art Briles a better potential comparison to Morris? (Without the icky stuff of course) World beating Texas high school coach turned stud OC turned innovative HC?

I guess time will tell. I am cautiously optimistic.

[redeye]

ATM must think so, since he was their first choice until Fischer became a real possibility.

[rtr]

The Art Briles analogy is more apt in a good way.

[HawgsPolo]

Mike Sherman only won 8+ games once in 4 seasons at the aggies

[Wildhog]

Morris averaged over 10 wins per year for sixteen years at large public Texas high schools.  He has been successful wherever he has been.  The continuing BS about his record at SMU is just that - BS. 

Morris has never won more than seven as a college head coach.  We have no idea what he'd do at TAMU.  Anyone that says they do is lying.

[ChicoHog]

It is hard to say. Sumlin took over a pretty good Houston program from Art Briles in 2008. He then went 8-5, 10-4, and 5-7 his first 3 years. He then rode Keenum to a 12-1 year and parlayed that into the aTm job. It is hard to say what Sumlin would have done if he had followed Jones at SMU. Jones didn't recruit and spent the off season in Hawaii his last 2 years.

Sumlin was a good recruiter and had perfect storm of Manziel, A&M joining SEC and Texas throwing up all over themselves to help that recruiting but I don't think he did much with his talent and of course his QB problems were well documented. To me Sumlin is a "does less with more" type guy.  Morris seems like a "does more with less" guy but it's way too early to tell.  I want and hope he is a "does more with more" guy as we need better players first and foremost, especially on defense.

[Caribhog]

FWIW, friend of mine who is a football sideline reporter for Fox, and comes from a long NFL, D1 College coaching family tree, thinks we hit it out of the park with the Morris hire. This from a guy who has no great love for the Hogs. He's covered SMU over the years and commented what a dumpster fire of a train wreck SMU was when they hired Morris. Also raves about the job he did as Clemson OC and also the job he did in Texas HS football. He said Morris will get into living rooms of kids in Texas that Arkansas may never have gotten into and also get recommendations from Tx HS coaches. I sure hope he's right...

[Wildhog]

FWIW, friend of mine who is a football sideline reporter for Fox, and comes from a long NFL, D1 College coaching family tree, thinks we hit it out of the park with the Morris hire. This from a guy who has no great love for the Hogs. He's covered SMU over the years and commented what a dumpster fire of a train wreck SMU was when they hired Morris. Also raves about the job he did as Clemson OC and also the job he did in Texas HS football. He said Morris will get into living rooms of kids in Texas that Arkansas may never have gotten into and also get recommendations from Tx HS coaches. I sure hope he's right...

I think he has a lot of upside.  Just need to see it before I start drinking the kool aid.

[NuttinItUp]

Bielema never did out-bama bama but he did out aggie aggie.

Actually: unfortunately, he never out-aggied aggie. Hopefully now that we have an Aggie at the helm, we can out-aggie the aggie.

[nightrider388]

Say what you want. A&M was competitive in most every game. They came into this league and immediately competed. We have went 77-112 since 1992. Feels really worse writing that . Missouri has also done pretty good.

[Pig Worshipper]

The OP's question is silly. So is the negative post I replied to. Chad Morris's record as a foot all coach is impressive. Period.

He's done well in the minor leagues. It doesn't mean he is major-league material. Period.

[The_Bionic_Pig]

I believe Morris is a much better tactician and if he had 5 Star QB talent, he would have replicated in College Station what he did in Death Valley. A potent Offense

[DeltaBoy]

Relax

[bphi11ips]

He's done well in the minor leagues. It doesn't mean he is major-league material. Period.

I said the same thing in 2007 about Gus Malzahn. Period.

[King Kong]

I believe Morris is a much better tactician and if he had 5 Star QB talent, he would have replicated in College Station what he did in Death Valley. A potent Offense

So time for Grant Gunnell to come home?

[hobhog]

Never know. Is Chad Morris the next great coach? Perfect timing at perfect program?

I'm excited about Spring Football and will go from there.

[hobhog]

Morris has never won more than seven as a college head coach.  We have no idea what he'd do at TAMU.  Anyone that says they do is lying.

Short sided opinion from little data. Let's give him a chance to show what promise he has....

[HoggyCat]

Morris averaged over 10 wins per year for sixteen years at large public Texas high schools.  He has been successful wherever he has been.  The continuing BS about his record at SMU is just that - BS.

Outside of being a HIGH SCHOOL head coach, SMU is all we have to go by.

[Hopeful Hog]

My expectation is at least 9 wins a year with 8 being the absolute floor in a bad year. No 6 or 7 win seasons are acceptable. Being in Atlanta is GREAT but I want the final 4 not just the SEC. I'm obviously not expecting it in the first couple years but I am expecting to see steady and rapid improvement. Every. Single. Year.

[blueridger]

I won alot of games as the coach of a 12 yr old traveling football team, does that mean I would mean more than 8 at Texas Am?  Noone knows what this coach is going to do so quit speculating and wait till next year and don't get your panties in a wad if someone doesn't agree with your assessment.

you need to drill down deeper into the success CCM has had.  he shows up at Tulsa...winner.  he shows up at Clemson...winner.  he shows up at a $hit show called SMU...winner.....1-11 to 7-5 in 3 years...winner.  he does much more than just coach football...he builds winners.  he builds confidence.  he builds family in the locker room.  he is the package deal you want...you just don't want to believe it.  ya need to start believing. 

[Pig in the Pokey]

Probably not. I don't believe A&M is even close to the sleeping Giant people think it is

However, Jimbo was an impressive get and I'm not even a huge Jimbo guy

not really. jimbo is a shell of his former self. Candie really did a number on him. Plus, they are tied to him for a very long time.

[Jimbob111]

Morris averaged over 10 wins per year for sixteen years at large public Texas high schools.  He has been successful wherever he has been.  The continuing BS about his record at SMU is just that - BS. 

This is a big question for me. I do understand the situation with SMU, I have read Morris's coaching pedigree, but you do have to admit, it's a terrible record and even worse than Bielema's during the same period (if I have my years right, I may be off a year).

I'm excited about the hire but I can understand why some would be concerned.

I think if you replace Sumlin with Morris, A&M wins 10 per year, every year. Maybe I'm a homer but I was never sold on Sumlin and with Manziel and Evans (and the big tight end that I can't remember, Evans and the other guy saved Manziel's ass so many times), A&M might not have been .500 for Sumlin's first few years.

[Atlhogfan1]

This is a big question for me. I do understand the situation with SMU, I have read Morris's coaching pedigree, but you do have to admit, it's a terrible record and even worse than Bielema's during the same period (if I have my years right, I may be off a year).

I'm excited about the hire but I can understand why some would be concerned.

I think if you replace Sumlin with Morris, A&M wins 10 per year, every year. Maybe I'm a homer but I was never sold on Sumlin and with Manziel and Evans (and the big tight end that I can't remember, Evans and the other guy saved Manziel's ass so many times), A&M might not have been .500 for Sumlin's first few years.

Context.  Morris improved SMU.



IMO on the OP's scenario:  A&M's problem would not have been fixed with Morris although maybe it would have been lessened.  Too finesse and soft due to where they recruit and the system Sumlin ran. 

[Pig in the Pokey]

No one has ever seen Morris win more than seven games in a season, so it's hard to say.

smh

[Al Boarland]

Probably not. I don't believe A&M is even close to the sleeping Giant people think it is

However, Jimbo was an impressive get and I'm not even a huge Jimbo guy

If A&M isn't a sleeping giant the UofA never will be.

[Atlhogfan1]

A&M has the potential to be that sleeping giant.  They essentially have the same recruiting ground as LSU.  LSU didn't go soft (they fired Canada after a season because of too much horizontal football).  A&M did.  Never understood why them or Texas would want to play the same way as TT, BU, TCU, Houston, SMU, ...etc when they didn't have to.   Jimbo is a better fit for A&M if they want to step up and he can find Texas kids willing to play football and not just 7on7.   

[Nashville Fan]

you need to drill down deeper into the success CCM has had.  he shows up at Tulsa...winner.  he shows up at Clemson...winner.  he shows up at a $hit show called SMU...winner.....1-11 to 7-5 in 3 years...winner.  he does much more than just coach football...he builds winners.  he builds confidence.  he builds family in the locker room.  he is the package deal you want...you just don't want to believe it.  ya need to start believing.

this, I feel is closer to the truth. Time will tell. On paper a great fit. Good guy that is super driven can do a lot in AR, if he gets the kids to believe.

[jgphillips3]

I think Sumlin was out of his depth, just like Bielema was here.  If you are going to be a successful head coach, you need to be regarded as "the best" at something.  I think Morris can do here what Petrino would have done here.  In basic, establish a floor of 8 wins per year by always beating teams you are better than and holding serve with the teams as good as you are.  Then, in years where you have the talent, he'll win double digits and have us in the discussion.  Unlike Sumlin and Bielema, by year three I don't think we'll be pondering why his team collapses and falls apart every year.  I honestly believe he'll do better here than Gus would have. 

[pigmania]

Morris averaged over 10 wins per year for sixteen years at large public Texas high schools.  He has been successful wherever he has been.  The continuing BS about his record at SMU is just that - BS. 

Coaching at a large public Texas high school is the same as coaching a team from the SEC West?

[(notOM)Rebel123]

Not according to the Gus cult.

Exactly.

[AHiD]

Actually: unfortunately, he never out-aggied aggie. Hopefully now that we have an Aggie at the helm, we can out-aggie the aggie.

I don't think you get what is meant by out-aggie the aggies

[NuttinItUp]

I don't think you get what is meant by out-aggie the aggies

Meet me at the Sonic in Alma and I'll show you what I meant.

[razorbackcaller]

Meet me at the Sonic in Alma and I'll show you what I meant.

well how big a boy are ya?

[HOGINTENNESSEE]

If A&M isn't a sleeping giant the UofA never will be.

Meh. A&M fights the spotlight with so many other things in its state.

At Arkansas we are the team and even though we don't produce high number of SEC players the ones we do produce end pretty good and care about the program much more than A&M players ever will.

Let's not forget Sumlin is currently the best coach in A&M school history by winning %.