I know football season is just around the corner when I start getting emails from old buddies speculating about how the Aggies will fare this year. The consensus in my group is that the team will experience growing pains in the SEC, but some are predicting a winning record of 7-5 or so.
The 2012 season will be unique: A new coaching staff will be making its debut, and the program will be making its debut in a new (and much more demanding) conference. The combination of new coach/new conference spells headaches for Aggie fans if history is any indication.
In the past forty years, six coaches have made debuts, and one has made a new conference debut. Emory Bellard went 3-8 in his initial season (1972). He was eventually replaced by Tom Wilson, whose debut occurred in mid-season and doesn't count. Wilson was replaced in 1982 by Jackie Sherrill, who had a great resume and a big contract. Sherrill started 5-6, but eventually took Texas A&M to glory in the SWC. Controversy finally led to Jackie's departure, but he'd built the program and R.C. Slocum replaced him in 1989 with an 8-4 record. Slocum was rolling until A&M abandoned the SWC for the new Big 12. In his new-conference debut, Slocum went 6-6, and had more downs than ups from then on. Dennis Franchione went 4-8 in his debut season (2003), and Mike Sherman matched that record in 2008.
Other than R.C. Slocum in 1989, no new Aggie coach in 40 years has produced a winning record his first season, and Slocum couldn't produce one in his first year after the conference switch. If Kevin Sumlin can reach 7-5 or better this year, he'll have done something that doesn't happen very often around Aggieland.
The 2012 season will be unique: A new coaching staff will be making its debut, and the program will be making its debut in a new (and much more demanding) conference. The combination of new coach/new conference spells headaches for Aggie fans if history is any indication.
In the past forty years, six coaches have made debuts, and one has made a new conference debut. Emory Bellard went 3-8 in his initial season (1972). He was eventually replaced by Tom Wilson, whose debut occurred in mid-season and doesn't count. Wilson was replaced in 1982 by Jackie Sherrill, who had a great resume and a big contract. Sherrill started 5-6, but eventually took Texas A&M to glory in the SWC. Controversy finally led to Jackie's departure, but he'd built the program and R.C. Slocum replaced him in 1989 with an 8-4 record. Slocum was rolling until A&M abandoned the SWC for the new Big 12. In his new-conference debut, Slocum went 6-6, and had more downs than ups from then on. Dennis Franchione went 4-8 in his debut season (2003), and Mike Sherman matched that record in 2008.
Other than R.C. Slocum in 1989, no new Aggie coach in 40 years has produced a winning record his first season, and Slocum couldn't produce one in his first year after the conference switch. If Kevin Sumlin can reach 7-5 or better this year, he'll have done something that doesn't happen very often around Aggieland.
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