The roller coaster ride that has been Arizona State's head football coach search takes another loop this weekend as it's now been reported that ASU is sending a delegation to Houston, Saturday, to meet with Kevin Sumlin. The Houston Cougars' head coach has led his team to a 12-0 record and a chance at a berth in a BCS Bowl this season, and the only report that hasn't been disputed thus far by ASU is that Sumlin is their top target.
Previously, reports were floating around, and were subsequently refuted by the university, that Sumlin has already been officially offered the head coaching job for Arizona State's football program. Whether those reports are true or not, no offer has been officially accepted and a new wrinkle has made things a little more difficult for ASU in their courtship.
Texas A&M's Head Coach job has been recently vacated, and Sumlin becomes a natural candidate as a former assistant there, and now located only about 90 minutes away from College Station in Houston. It's now being reported by several outlets, including DevilsDigest.com and ASUDevils.com, that ASU is stepping up their pursuit and sending president Michael Crow, vice president for athletics Lisa Love and chief operating officer Steve Patterson to Houston to meet with Sumlin.
Of course, the university is denying this as well.
As FoxSportsArizona points out,
The face-to-face meeting would presumably be the final step in sealing the deal, but with Texas A&M now in the market for a coach, the cost of doing business is likely to rise. Sumlin is also considered to be a potential candidate for the UCLA position.
Stay tuned for more.
For more on the possibility of Sumlin being the Sun Devils coach, head to House of Sparky.