After a whirlwind weekend that had Arizona supporters furiously refreshing their devices to keep up with all the twists and turns, the UA delivered the man they wanted from the start.
Kevin Sumlin is the new coach of the Wildcats, first-year athletic director Dave Heeke announced Sunday evening. Sumlin will be introduced to Tucson on Tuesday morning.
Sumlin, 53, comes to Arizona after a mostly successful six-year run at Texas A&M. Sumlin compiled a 51-26 record and coached a Heisman Trophy winner but was fired in late November after a fourth consecutive five-loss season. Each of his Aggies teams played in a bowl game.
After firing Rich Rodriguez on Jan. 2 — and citing concerns over the “direction and climate” of the football program — Heeke placed a big emphasis on character in the search for Rodriguez’s successor. In a news release, Heeke described Sumlin as “a proven winner who will have an immediate impact on not only our football program but also on our department and university.”
Heeke added that Sumlin “shares our vision and values and fits with who we are and who we want to be. His commitment to academics and to community service are a testament to his character. I have no doubt that Kevin will bring an exciting brand of football to Tucson and that championships will follow.”
Sumlin averaged more than eight wins per season at Texas A&M despite playing in the rugged SEC West. His first Aggies team finished 11-2 and featured quarterback Johnny Manziel, who became the first redshirt freshman to win the Heisman.
At Arizona, Sumlin inherits quarterback Khalil Tate, who burst into the national consciousness last season as a true sophomore. Under Sumlin’s guidance, the uber-talented Tate has the potential to be Johnny Football 2.0.
Sumlin said in a statement that he is “humbled and honored” to become a Wildcat and feels that Arizona already has a “strong foundation” in place. The UA finished 7-6 last season after going 3-9 in 2016. The defense featured five freshman starters.
“We will work quickly to assemble an elite coaching staff and immediately begin the work of establishing our culture, recruiting future Wildcats and connecting with Wildcats past and present,” Sumlin said. “We will win championships. We will graduate our players, and they will contribute to the university in many ways while they are here. We will represent Arizona with class and pride.”
Gil Brandt of NFL.com first broke the news of Sumlin’s hiring early Sunday afternoon, a few hours after Navy’s Ken Niumatalolo dropped out of the running.
Niumatalolo emerged as the favorite Friday, met with his staff Saturday morning and talked to Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk later in the day. Niumatalolo did not reveal his intentions in those meetings, but many at Navy and Arizona believed he was going to leave.
Niumatalolo had been recommended for the job by former UA coach Dick Tomey, his longtime friend and mentor. Niumatalolo also had expressed a desire to move west to be closer to family and his home state of Hawaii.
By Sunday morning, Niumatalolo had decided to remain at Navy. He has been on staff there for 20 years, including the past 10 as head coach.
Niumatalolo released a statement to the Capital Gazette of Annapolis, Maryland, and other media outlets: “After much prayer and pondering, it has become crystal clear that USNA is a special place with special people, and I love it here. Plus, I have unfinished business!”
It was not immediately clear what caused Niumatalolo to withdraw from consideration. Possible reasons the deal with Arizona fell apart include Niumatalolo’s feelings toward Navy and differences of opinion about his offensive philosophy. The Midshipmen run a version of the triple-option, which is standard at service academies but rare at Power Five programs.
A source with knowledge of Arizona’s hiring process told the Star on Sunday that the UA remained in contact with Sumlin’s representatives even as a deal with Niumatalolo seemed imminent. When it fell through, the school quickly pivoted to Sumlin.
Sumlin will keep Marcel Yates on his staff as defensive coordinator, the Star has confirmed. Yates has been the Wildcats’ DC the past two seasons, and he served as their interim coach after Rodriguez was let go.
Yates — who interviewed for the head-coaching job and had widespread support from current Arizona players — served as co-defensive coordinator under Sumlin at Texas A&M in 2012 and ’13. Yates will have input in the composition of the defensive staff, so some of the assistants on that side of the ball could be retained.
Bruce Feldman of Sports Illustrated and Fox Sports reported that Sumlin will hire Noel Mazzone as offensive coordinator and Clarence McKinney as running backs coach. Mazzone spent the past two seasons as Texas A&M’s offensive coordinator after serving in the same capacity for Arizona State (2010-11) and UCLA (2012-15). Mazzone coached future NFL quarterbacks Brock Osweiler and Brett Hundley at those stops.
The hiring of Sumlin drew praise from former Wildcats — and even their ex-coach.
Former UA linebacker Ricky Hunley noted that Arizona hired the first African-American coach in its history on the eve of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, calling the move “awesome.”
Former Wildcats quarterback B.J. Denker tweeted that it was “a great day to be a Wildcat” and predicted Sumlin would take the program to “the next level.” Denker worked as a graduate assistant under Sumlin in 2015 and ’16 before becoming a staff analyst at Arizona last year.
Rodriguez tweeted a congratulatory message to Sumlin and the university. “I am sure he will have great success with the most remarkable group of football student-athletes in the country,” Rodriguez wrote.
Arizona opens next season against BYU before visiting Houston, where Sumlin got his first shot as a head coach. Sumlin guided the Cougars to a 35-17 record from 2008-11, including 12-1 in his final season.
Sumlin’s starting quarterback for most of that time was Case Keenum, who threw the winning touchdown pass for the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC divisional playoffs Sunday. Keenum passed for 16,958 yards and 141 touchdowns in 44 games for Sumlin-coached teams.
Sumlin did not coach the 2011 Cougars in their bowl game, having already taken the A&M job. Nine of the 10 teams he has led have played in bowls.
Sumlin’s second Aggies team finished 9-4, but they leveled off thereafter. Texas A&M replaced Sumlin with Jimbo Fisher, who was lured away from Florida State with a 10-year, $75 million contract.
Sumlin reportedly will get a standard five-year deal from the UA. Exact terms, subject to approval by the Arizona Board of Regents, will be released Tuesday.
Sumlin left A&M with a buyout of more than $10 million, money he gets to keep despite taking the Arizona job.
