re: Sumlin says he was offered an NFL head coaching gig but turned it down

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Sumlin will continue to get NFL interest every year because he is black. The NFL has an interview policy that they have to interview minority coaches and he is easily one of the best candidates out there. That isn't to say he doesn't merit the attention regardless of skin color but it does make him more likely to get the call.

He is attractive to NFL teams though because he is highly organized and very good with the media. He also is a strong X's and O's coach who has a strong reputation for hiring quality assistants and developing them. That's what NFL teams want.

That said, I would be surprised if he left. A&M will be able to pay him almost as much as an NFL team, esp if he continues to win. He pulls off a Natty this year and he gets bumped to Miles/Saban type money. You don't spend $450 mill on a new stadium and lose your golden boy coach over a few mill.

More than that though, Sumlin doesn't really fit the profile. He has never played or coached a day in the NFL. He clearly loves working with young men and teaching them and is a highly enthusiastic recruiter. He has small children at home and a college coach has a lot more of a family life than a pro coach. The NFL is a 365 Day job and far more intense. Just ask Steve Spurrier. You also rarely get to be the GM so you are at the mercy of someone else on player decisions.

At A&M he also has the opportunity to not only be treated like a God if he continues to win but maintaining that winning is much easier than at the NFL level. Why? NFL teams are built for parity, College teams allow for advantages in recruiting and facilities. If he builds it then it will be much easier to maintain in College Station than in the NFL with salary caps, free agency, and the draft set up to give the worst teams the highest picks. In college football the rich just get richer.

The only reason I see him leaving is if he just wants to climb that next mountain. Maybe he does, maybe he doesn't. At A&M though he has a chance to be THE COACH, not just of today but all time. He can be an icon where they build statues of him and name streets after him. That's much more difficult to achieve in the NFL.

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