Texas A&M’s Kevin Sumlin is one of the hottest names in the coaching profession, hot enough that if the Eagles hadn’t been able to lure Chip Kelly away from Oregon, they were hoping to hire Sumlin.
But Sumlin says he plans to stay right where he is.
In an interview with Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports, Sumlin brushed off speculation that he would leave for the NFL any time soon, saying he loves college and loves being a part of the development of young men.
“I was lucky to grow up in a two-parent home and a lot of the guys I deal with now don’t have that,” he said. “Winning is important but it’s really important to impact people’s lives. That’s the reason I love college football for some crazy reason. From 18-23, 24, you have guys who go through a lot and you can help develop them not just as players but as men. And I think that’s really important right now.”
Like Kelly, Sumlin has no NFL experience at all. But if Kelly succeeds with the Eagles, NFL owners may start looking for the next Chip Kelly. And no matter how much Sumlin loves coaching in college, it’s entirely possible that some NFL owner will make him the kind of offer that he’ll love even more.