Maryland assistant Kevin Sumlin arrested on DUI complaint in Hillsborough
UPDATE (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.): Former Texas A&M football coach Kevin Sumlin fumbled around his illegally parked sedan before his arrest Saturday in Hillsborough County on a complaint of driving under the influence. Those are among the details in a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office report obtained Tuesday morning by the Tampa Bay Times.
A deputy responded at 12:17 a.m. Saturday after a report of reckless driving. The deputy saw Sumlin’s gray Nissan sedan parked illegally at the RaceTrac on N. U.S. Hwy 301, near the Florida State Fairgrounds and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, according to the report.
Sumlin’s breath smelled of alcohol, and the Maryland offensive coordinator had red, watery eyes, the officer wrote. Sumlin also moved slowly, fumbled around the car and had “unsteady” balance, according to the report. He “showed multiple signs of impairments” during field sobriety exercises and later refused a breathalyzer test.
A court date is scheduled for Nov. 21.
DEVELOPING: Former Texas A&M football head coach Kevin Sumlin was arrested in Hillsborough County over the weekend on a complaint of driving under the influence, according to the Sheriff’s Office and court records.
Sumlin, now co-offensive coordinator/tight ends coach/associate head coach at Maryland, was arrested early Saturday on North U.S. Highway 301 near the Florida State Fairgrounds after refusing a Breathalyzer test just before 1 a.m., court records show. He was released about eight hours later.
Further details were not immediately available. The 5-2 Terrapins were off last week.
“Maryland Athletics is aware of the incident this past weekend involving football coach Kevin Sumlin,” the athletic department said in a statement Monday night. “As this is an ongoing investigation, we will have no further comment.”
Sumlin, 59, entered a not guilty plea Monday through Tampa attorney William Tyson. Sumlin coached Houston from 2008-11 before taking over the Aggies, where he coached Johnny Manziel to the Heisman Trophy. Sumlin went 51-26 at A&M before getting fired and replaced by Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher. Sumlin later became the coach at Arizona and with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.
On Monday afternoon, the Sheriff’s Office wrote a social media post touting the “outstanding work of our DUI unit” that led to 35 related arrests over the weekend.
“This is why we established a unit focused on combating drunk driving, to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones on the roadway,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in the post. “I take pride in the dedication of our deputies, who are sending a clear message that driving under the influence will not be tolerated in our county.”
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