ARLINGTON, TX – October 23, 2026 – With nearly 100 career victories as a college head coach and experience across both college and professional spring football, Kevin Sumlin is bringing his extensive coaching resume to Dallas. The former Houston Gamblers head coach has been named the new head coach of the Dallas Renegades, adding another chapter to a career that has spanned some of the biggest programs in college football.
A standout multi-sport athlete in high school, Sumlin ultimately chose football and took his talents to West Lafayette, Indiana, where he played linebacker at Purdue University. A productive and dependable presence on defense, Sumlin finished his playing career with 375 total tackles.
Following his playing career, Sumlin immediately transitioned into coaching. He served as an assistant at Washington State, Wyoming, Minnesota and Purdue, steadily building his resume and developing into one of college football’s respected offensive minds. Along the way, he worked alongside some of the sport’s most accomplished coaches, including Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.
At Purdue, Sumlin helped guide the Boilermakers to a Rose Bowl appearance following the 2000 season, working with quarterback Drew Brees. He later continued his offensive success at Oklahoma, where the Sooners averaged 44 points per game in his final season with the program.
In 2008, Sumlin earned his first head coaching opportunity at the University of Houston. His tenure with the Cougars peaked in 2011, when Houston opened the season 12-0. After four seasons and 35 victories, Sumlin departed with the program firmly established as a national contender.
Sumlin took over at Texas A&M in 2012 and immediately made headlines by naming Johnny Manziel his starting quarterback. Manziel went on to win the Heisman Trophy as the Aggies finished 11-2 in their first season in the SEC, highlighted by a road victory over top-ranked Alabama and a Cotton Bowl win over Oklahoma. Texas A&M finished among the nation's top five for the first time in more than six decades.
Over six seasons in College Station, Sumlin recorded six consecutive winning seasons and three bowl victories before moving on to Arizona. Following his three-year tenure with the Wildcats, Sumlin transitioned to spring football, serving as head coach and general manager of the Houston Gamblers during the USFL's 2022 season. He later returned to college football as an assistant at Maryland.
Sumlin returned to spring football with the Houston Gamblers in 2026, leading the program back to the UFL and helping more than 10 players earn NFL contracts. Among them was Ameer Speed, who secured a spot on the Dallas Cowboys' 53-man roster. He additionally has the opportunity of bringing his roster from last season with him to Dallas.
Now, Sumlin brings that experience and a proven track record of developing NFL talent to the Dallas Renegades, ready to lead the next chapter of his coaching career.