Sumlin continues Sooner trend

It happens like clockwork. Every odd-numbered year, Bob Stoops loses an assistant who becomes a head coach at another Division I-A school. Today, it’s Kevin Sumlin, the OU receivers coach who will be named coach at Houston U. on Friday.

Good for Sumlin. Houston is a good mid-major job. The Cougars are poised to be the class of Conference USA’s West Division. Tulsa and Texas-El Paso have been competitive in recent years, but UH should be the most consistent winner in that group. The recruiting ground is fertile, the tradition solid and while facilities don’t rival the Big 12 schools, Houston still can win.

Sumlin just missed out on the Washington State job, which went to Eastern Washington’s Paul Wulff, but I think Sumlin might have come out ahead with Houston. WSU is a better job, but Houston probably is a better stepping-stone job. If Sumlin’s goal is to be a head coach at a big-time school, Houston can be a launching pad. Art Briles went to Baylor from Houston, but you can beat that job.

This keeps the Stoops pipeline on track. In 1999, Mike Leach went to Texas Tech. In 2001, Mark Mangino to Kansas. In 2003, Mike Stoops to Arizona. In 2005, Chuck Long to San Diego State. Now 2007, Sumlin.

And with Kevin Wilson and Brent Venables still in the stable, the clockwork could continue in 2009. Of course, either could be gone before then.