Kevin Sumlin
A dynamic and polarizing coach, he revolutionized college football offenses and produced a Heisman-winning quarterback at Texas A&M.
Born 1964 (age 62)·American football player and coach·Birthday: August 3·Baby Boomers
Biography
Kevin Sumlin cut his teeth as a linebacker at Purdue before transitioning to coaching, where he quickly developed a reputation as a sharp offensive mind. His breakthrough came as the offensive coordinator at the University of Oklahoma, where his high-tempo system helped propel the Sooners to a national championship game. As a head coach, he first resurrected the University of Houston program, posting a 12-1 record in 2011 with a record-shattering offense led by quarterback Case Keenum. That success landed him at Texas A&M, where in his debut season he oversaw the phenomenon of freshman quarterback Johnny Manziel, who captured the Heisman Trophy behind Sumlin's aggressive scheme. His tenure, marked by early highs and later struggles, reflected the volatile nature of major college football, before he moved to professional spring leagues.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Kevin was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kevin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Kevin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Coached Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy in 2012, the first freshman to ever win the award.
- Led the University of Houston to a 12-1 record and a top-15 national ranking in the 2011 season.
- Served as the offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners team that played for the BCS National Championship in the 2008 season.
- Became the first African American head football coach at both the University of Houston and Texas A&M University.
Did You Know?
He was a team captain and four-year letterman as a linebacker at Purdue University.
His 2012 Texas A&M team defeated the #1 ranked Alabama Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa in its first SEC season.
He has coached in college football's Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and Pac-12 conferences.
He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Washington State under Mike Price.
“We have to execute our system, and our system is about speed.”
