Kevin Sumlin, the former head coach of many programs but most notably Texas A&M, was arrested on a DUI charge over the weekend in Hillsborough County, Florida.
Former Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin, now a co-OC at Maryland, arrested for DUI over the weekend in Hillsborough County, Fla. (First reported by @taylorjlyons). Maryland had a bye last weekend. pic.twitter.com/XhN6qdGmP4
— John Talty (@JTalty) October 23, 2023
The arrest took place around 1 a.m. Saturday on U.S. Highway 301 in Tampa, Florida, according to the Diamondback, the student newspaper at the University of Maryland, where Sumlin is on the football coaching staff. Sumlin refused a Breathalyzer test, resulting in a license suspension for one year, police said. He pleaded not guilty and waived arraignment. He was released on a $500 cash bond. Conviction of the charge carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison.
After coaching the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League in 2022, Sumlin returned to the college ranks as an associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach for the Maryland Terrapins.
The arrest occurred during Maryland's bye week following its 27-24 home loss to Illinois on Oct. 14.
The Terrapins rank 27th in the nation in points per game with 32.7 and are 5-2 this season, with losses to Illinois and Ohio State.
Sumlin is best known for his stint with the Aggies from 2012-2017, having coached star college players such as Johnny Manziel. In 2013, Sumlin signed a six-year extension with the program for $30 million. He was fired nearly four years later, with a record of 51-26. He then moved to become the head coach for Arizona but was fired in December 2020 following a devastating, 70-7 loss to in-state rival Arizona State.
With the Gamblers of the USFL, Sumlin was not only named head coach but general manager, too. They went 3-7 and didn't qualify for the postseason.
Throughout his career, Sumlin has coached in various capacities since 1989 for Washington State, Wyoming, Minnesota, Purdue, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Houston, Arizona, the Gamblers and now Maryland.
A team spokesperson provided a brief comment on the situation.
"Maryland Athletics is aware of the incident this past weekend involving football coach Kevin Sumlin," a team spokesperson said in a statement. "As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment."
Sumlin's attorney declined to comment.
