MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27 | SERVING TEXAS A&M SINCE 1893 | © 2017 STUDENT MEDIA Texas A&M lost its last regular season game of 2017 against the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge, a day later A&M notified Sumlin that he was fired from his head coaching position, effective immediately.
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END OF KEVIN SUMLIN ERA
C. Morgan Engel — THE BATTALION
Sumlin relieved of head coach job after six years By Angel Franco @angelmadison_ Nearly 24 hours after Texas A&M lost its regular season finale to LSU, 45-21, in Baton Rouge, La., Texas A&M officially notified Kevin Sumlin that he will not be returning as the Aggies’ head coach. Assistant coach Jeff Banks will serve as the interim head coach for the Aggies as they prepare for their bowl game in December. In a statement released Sunday afternoon, Texas A&M Athletic Director Scott Woodward said although Sumlin did a lot of good for the program, it was time for a change. “Kevin’s tenure included some remarkable achievements and he leaves our program as one of the winningest football coaches in our school history,” Woodward said. “Kevin made us a better all-around football program and led our program with dignity and char-
BYE SIR
A&M - LSU GAME ANALYSIS
acter. He’s a first-class person.” Woodward thanked Sumlin for the six years he gave to the program as the Aggies made a name for themselves in one of College football’s toughest conferences. “Our expectations at A&M are very high,” Woodward said. “We believe that we should compete for SEC championships on an annual basis and, at times, national championships. I believe that we need a new coach to take us there. On behalf of Aggies everywhere, my thanks to Kevin and his family for his service to Texas A&M. I wish him the very best.” The firing of Sumlin comes days after an unnamed source told the Houston Chronicle that regardless of the outcome of the LSU game, Sumlin would be fired. However, at the post-game press conference in Tiger Stadium, Sumlin said he was unsure of what his future at A&M would look SUMLIN ON PG.3
Photos by Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
LSU QB Danny Etling carves up A&M defense
By Alex Miller @AlexMill20
BATON ROUGE, La. — LSU quarterback Danny Etling broke his single-game passing record Saturday night in the Tigers’ 45-21 win over Texas A&M. Etling’s new record of 347 yards came nearly a year after he set his highest total of 324 against the Aggies at Kyle Field after LSU posted 54 points on A&M’s home field. “We definitely thought we had a good game plan, all the coaches really had us ready to play this game,” Etling said. “My topthree passing performances have always been in these Thanksgiving last games, so it’s been good.” On 19-of-30 passing, Etling found his receivers three times for touchdowns, and had eight passes of 15-plus yards, four of which were 30 or more. His numbers came in just
3.5 quarters of play after being replaced by back-ups mid-way through the fourth quarter. Motions, play-action and backside throws allowed the Tiger receivers to maneuver through the Aggie secondary, giving LSU room to run in the open space. “They were able to get double moves on our young corners,” then A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin said. “A lot of the deep balls were because of the protection and the time for guys in one-on-one, man-to-man coverage.” Coming into the game, Etling averaged just 171.5 passing yards per game, and his highest passing total this season was 227 against lowly FCS UT-Chattanooga. But as he did last year, Etling looked poised and powerful in the pocket against the Aggies, leading the Tiger offense to 601 yards on the night. GAME ANALYSIS ON PG.2
SUMLIN’S COACHING TIMELINE 2014
2011 December 10, 2011
2012
Kenny Hill lights up South Carolina 52 - 28 in first game post Manziel.
Sumlin hired as head coach.
November 1, 2014
September 8, 2012 Florida beats A&M 20 - 17 in Sumlin’s first game.
2015
November 10, 2012
2013
Johnny Manziel wins the Heisman Trophy.
November 30, 2013 Sumlin earns massive contract extension, salary increases to $5 million per year.
Hill suspended for two games before transferring to TCU.
September 3, 2017 A&M blows 34-point lead in 45 - 44 loss to UCLA.
November 26, 2017 Sumlin fired as head coach. MORE AT THEBATT.COM
Dec. 2015
A&M defeats No. 1 Alabama, 29 - 24 on the road.
December 8, 2012
August 28, 2014
2016
Kyle Allen and Kyler Murray both transfer, leaving A&M without an experienced starting quarterback.
November 1, 2016
2017
Aggies ranked No. 4 in CFB Playoff rankings.
April 27, 2017 Myles Garrett becomes first No. 1 NFL Draft Pick in school-history.
Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
MEN’S BASKETBALL: NO. 16 AGGIES UPSET NO. 10 USC, 75 - 59 ON THE ROAD IN CALIFORNIA
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The Battalion | 11.27.17
FIRST ROUND NFL DRAFT PICKS No coach since R.C. Slocum has sent more players to the NFL in the first round of the Draft than Kevin Sumlin. Here’s a break down of how many first round picks the past five A&M coaches have had.
Kevin Sumlin
Myles Garrett (2017) Germain Ifedi (2016) Cedric Ogbuehi (2015) Johnny Manziel (2014) Mike Evans (2014)
2012 - 2017 Southeastern Conference Overall record: 51 - 26 Conference record: 25 - 23
Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Redshirt freshman Nick Starkel threw for 227 yards on 16-of-30 pass attempts with two touchdowns.
Jake Matthews (2014) Luke Joeckel (2013)
GAME ANALYSIS CONTINUED at us, but Danny was money all night in the passing game,” LSU center Will Clapp said. Different looks came with different personnel, as the Aggies were missing starting defensive end Jarrett Johnson. The Tigers were without their starting left tackle K.J. Malone and despite having four sacks, A&M’s pursuit of LSU’s quarterback was not enough with the Tigers forming what Sumlin described as a max-protection scheme. “I think obviously not having Jarrett Johnson hurt us a little bit because of his production and they were sliding the protection a lot more to Landis [Durham], who’s been productive,” Sumlin said. “I think Micheal Clemons came in and gave us some juice, but couldn’t get there every time.” While Etling had occassional heat, the Tigers stayed true to their attack down-field. LSU’s plan continued to pay off throughout the game. “We felt like we could protect Danny and throw on them,” LSU head coach Ed Orgeron said. “Overall, he did a good job of managing the game, of staying in there when he got hit.” On the other side, A&M’s passing game was troubled by the tantalizing Tiger defenders. Quarterback Nick Starkel was 16-of-30 for 227 yards, but threw three interceptions. LSU cornerback Kevin Toliver had the Aggie receivers on lockdown, breaking up three passes. Being fast and physical proved to be the deadly duo in shutting down the A&M receiving corps. “They’ve got a lot of speed, that’s one thing that stuck out, and they’re long,” A&M wide receiver Christian Kirk said of the LSU secondary. “They make up a lot of ground, if you get some type of separation, they can close fast, especially at the line of scrimmage against press.” On A&M’s three scoring drives, Starkel was 10of-13 for 166 yards and the Aggies accumulated eight first downs. In their other 11 possessions, Starkel was just 6-of-17 for 61 yards and threw three interceptions. In turn, A&M only moved the chains six times on their stagnant drives and had five three-and-outs. Inconsistent play on offense made it difficult for the Aggies to mount a comeback despite coming within six points twice in the second half. LSU also scored 13 points on four A&M turnovers. “We didn’t execute,” Kirk said. “We put so much on execution during the week and we just didn’t do it. Too many turnovers, too many mistakes offensively that they took advantage of.”
Mike Sherman Ryan Tannehill (2012) Von Miller (2011)
2008 - 2011 Big 12 Conference Overall record: 25 - 25 Conference record: 15 - 18
Dennis Franchione 2003 - 2007 Big 12 Conference Overall record: 32 - 28 Conference record: 19 - 21
Franchione had no first round NFL Draft Picks during his time as A&M’s head coach.
R.C. Slocum 1989 - 2002 Southwest & Big 12 Conferences Overall record: 123 - 48 - 2 Conference record: 78 - 28 - 2
Sammy Davis (2003) Ty Warren (2003) Reggie Brown (1996) Greg Hill (1994) Aaron Glenn (1994)
Jackie Sherrill
Sam Adams (1994) Patrick Bates (1993) Kevin Smith (1992) Quentin Coryatt (1992) Richmond Webb (1990)
Rod Bernstine (1987) Roger Vick (1987) Ray Childress (1985) Billy Cannon, Jr. (1984)
1982 - 1988 Southwest Conference Overall record: 52- 28 - 1 Conference record: 36 - 17 - 1
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Jimbo Fisher is in his eleventh season at Florida State, his eighth as their head coach.
With Kevin Sumlin out, where does Texas A&M go from here? Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher appears to be top-choice for new head coach By Alex Miller @AlexMill20 Now that Kevin Sumlin is out as Texas A&M’s head coach, the million-dollar — or multi-million-dollar — question remains: Who will be the Aggies’ next coach? Ramblings, reports and rumors suggest Florida State’s Jimbo Fisher is athletic director Scott Woodward’s top target, and it seems that A&M has a very realistic chance to land the Seminoles’ head coach. Fisher and Florida State continue to have disagreements on certain items, particularly facilities, and A&M could provide Fisher the
amenities he desires, as well as a nice pay raise. Woodward also made it clear that Sumlin’s replacement will be one he believes can lead the Aggies to a championship, and added that a tight-knit coaching search means things will remain rather quiet until the next head coach is named. In eight seasons at Florida State, Fisher is 82-23. He has led the Seminoles to a national title in 2013 and three ACC crowns. The timing of firing Sumlin and potentially hiring Fisher is tricky though, as Florida State is set to make up a previously scheduled game against UL-Monroe next Saturday, which was canceled in September due to Hurricane Irma — a game that could make the Seminoles eligible for a bowl game later on Due to this, Fisher is unlikely to get up and leave his team before their regular-season fi-
nale, which means A&M may be in limbo and without a permanent head coach for at least a week. It would make sense for the Aggies to go ahead and make a move one way or another despite Fisher’s situation as recruiting begins to heat up, especially with the new early-signing period less than a month away. But the move indicates that A&M has advanced discussions on what it will do moving forward. Woodward and the powers that be would not have opened the head coaching vacancy without having a near-certain replacement for Sumlin. If it is Fisher, one would expect a formal announcement toward the end of next weekend or the following Monday. That time-table could change, but that seems to be the target point of A&M’s next move.
But if Fisher fails, the Aggies will need to look elsewhere quickly, especially with the amount of top-tier programs — and fellow SEC opponents — looking to fill similar vacancies. A short-list of names to follow would likely include Justin Fuente at Virginia Tech and SMU’s Chad Morris, an A&M alumn. The bottom line is that Woodward & Co. likely already have something in place, and have for a while. Woodward made his intentions and expectations of A&M’s head coach clear months ago, and could likely see where things were headed after the Aggies’ loss to Mississippi State. That in turn has given him plenty of time to work behind the scenes and get things done in an orderly manner. Time will tell how things play out in Aggieland, but Woodward knows what he is doing and will have things settled soon.
Cassie Stricker — THE BATTALION
Kevin Sumlin on the sidelines before the game against LSU this past weekend.
SUMLIN CONTINUED
FILE
Kevin Sumlin was named SEC Coach of the Year in 2012 after finishing the year with an 11-2 record a national ranking of fifth in the final AP Poll.
Thank you, Kevin Sumlin Assistant sports editor Alex Miller details Kevin Sumlin’s impact in six seasons as Texas A&M’s head coach Alex Miller
K
@AlexMill20
evin Sumlin, you put Texas A&M back on the map. Things did not end the way anyone wanted them to, but in six years you did something that had not been done since my parents were in school — you made A&M nationally relevant. Sure, there were Everest-like peaks that drove the Aggies through the college football world and lows as deep and dry as Death Valley that sometimes felt like a scorching hell. But at the end of the day, you were right in what you said at your final press conference in Tiger Stadium — you are leaving A&M and its football program in better shape than when you found it. With the exception of this season, Sumlin led A&M to top-10 rankings in each of his first five seasons in at least the second month of each season. He orchestrated an outrageous offense in his opening season that produced the second Heisman Trophy winner in school history and he gave the Aggies their first No. 1 NFL Draft pick.
Sumlin proved that A&M could compete in the almighty SEC — on the field, in recruiting and in the absurd facilities race — something few outsiders envisioned when the Aggies were bold enough to leave the Big 12 in 2011. Year in and year out under Sumlin, A&M was at one point in contention to make a run at a championship when things were beginning to get serious in the season. But we all know the story: A&M could not win down the stretch or in division games at home and ultimately made too many mistakes on and off the field that led to the head man being let go. That is not to say that what Kevin Sumlin accomplished was sub-par by any means. It just was not championship-caliber, or at the level the Aggies wanted. The bottom line is that Sumlin guided the maroon and white to its most successful and consistent stretch in two decades in what Sumlin himself said is arguably the toughest division in the toughest conference. Under Sumlin, A&M won three-straight bowl games for the third time in school-history, which was the first time the Aggies had done so in consecutive years. Sumlin also never had a losing season or one under .500
during his tenure at A&M, a feat no Aggie head coach has accomplished since D.X. Bible was walking the sidelines in the 1920s. Junior linebacker and 12th Man Cullen Gillaspia summed it up well — it is a shame that a team not reaching 10 wins each year results in its head coach being put on the chopping block. In the almighty SEC, 14 teams compete for a title, but only one comes away victorious in Atlanta on the first weekend of December. While Sumlin’s time in Aggieland is over, he leaves his office in the Bright Complex running and ready to go for the next man who sits there. Unlike many coaching changes, there is no scandal the Aggies will have to face in the years to come. He is not leaving after a crushing season that leaves A&M at the bottom of the division. Sumlin leaves this program in a position he described perfectly following his final game as the Aggies’ head man — with the ability to go much further in years to come. Thank you, Kevin Sumlin. Thank you for showing that Texas A&M can achieve greatness. Alex Miller is a journalism sophomore and assistant sports editor for The Battalion.
like but had not spoken to administration. “Don’t know anything, it’s just business as usual for me,” Sumlin said. “I don’t have anything scheduled, it’ll probably change here in the next couple of minutes or whatever.” Woodward said he would not release any further statements regarding the issue until the Aggies have found their new head coach. “Obviously, our search will be quiet so the next time you’ll hear from me is when I’m introducing the new head football coach,” Woodward said. Sumlin came to Texas A&M in 2011 after spending four seasons at the University of Houston, where he had a 35-17 record with the Cougars. At the helm of the Texas A&M football program, Sumlin was the first coach the Aggies had when making the move to the Southeastern Conference. In his first season, Sumlin guided A&M to an 11-2 record with an upset victory over Alabama. That same season, he coached redshirt freshman Johnny Manziel to a Heisman winning campaign. However, as the Aggies began to settle into the SEC, the harsh realities of competing in the toughest division in the toughest conference in college football became a hurdle Sumlin couldn’t get over. The last three seasons resulted in 8-5 finishes with losses against SEC West opponents. Sumlin was one of two SEC coaches that won at least eight games in a five year span. Additionally, he’s the second coach in school history to accomplish that same record. In the six-years that Sumlin was at the helm of the program, he led the Aggies to a bowl game each year. He was the first coach in program history to win three straight bowl games in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The Aggies will learn Dec. 3 where they will go for their bowl game and who they will face.
FOOTBALL The Battalion | 11.27.17
4
SUMLIN'S BEST:
THE TOP-FIVE PLAYERS DURING HIS SIX YEARS 3. WR Mike Evans
By Ryan MacDonald @Ryan_MacDonald2
2012 - 2014
With Kevin Sumlin’s tenure coming to an end, here is a ranking of the top five players to suit up in maroon and white during his time in Aggieland.
Mike Evans saw action in just two seasons as an Aggie, but in that time proved to be the best receiver Sumlin has coached. Evans shined his redshirt freshman year establishing himself as Johnny Manziel’s go-to receiver. Evans started in all 13 games and led the team with 82 catches and 1,105 yards, earning Freshman All-SEC honors. Evans progressed his sophomore season with 69 receptions for 1,394 yards. After the season, Evans earned the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best receiver in college football.
1. QB Johnny Manziel 2012 - 2014
Johnny. Football. You can’t mention Kevin Sumlin’s time at A&M without thinking of the Heisman Trophy winner. Manziel was instrumental in the Aggies’ 2012 season, which wrapped up with an 11-2 record and a victory in the Cotton Bowl. Manziel led the Aggies to a 9-4 season in 2013 before darting for the NFL Draft. In just two seasons at A&M, Manziel racked up 7820 passing yards, 2,169 rushing yards and 93 total touchdowns.
4. WR Christian Krik 2015 - Present
Kirk has been Mr. Reliable for the Aggies the past three seasons, catching at least two passes in all 38 of his games at A&M. During those three seasons in Aggieland, Kirk has accumulated 2,667 yards and 23 touchdowns. Additionally, Kirk has also been one of the most successful return men in the country, returning both kicks and punts for the Aggies each season. Kirk is averaging 22.1 yards per return on kickoffs and 22.8 yards per return on punts. Prior to this season, Kirk was named to the Preseason All-American team as both a wide receiver and a punt returner — a rare feat.
2. DE Myles Garrett 2014 - 2016 Simply put, Myles Garrett was a beast in maroon and was the first No. 1 Draft Pick in school history. Garrett came to College Station as the No. 2 overall prospect in the nation and didn’t waste any time jumping into action, breaking A&M’s freshman sack record of 5.5 in just six games. Garrett finished his freshman campaign with 11.5 sacks and 53 total tackles and was a consensus Freshman All-American. Garrett continued his immense success in his sophomore year, leading the SEC with 12 sacks and 57 total tackles. Though his junior season was plagued with injuries, Garrett still recorded 8.5 sacks and 32 total tackles. Garrett is remembered in Aggieland as one of the best defensive players in A&M’s history.
5. DB Armani Watts 2014 - Present Armani Watts came into A&M winning the starting safety job as a freshman and never looked back, playing in every game that season. It wasn’t until the 2015 season that Watts came into his own, leading the team with 126 tackles, one interception and two forced fumbles. Watts picked up where he left off in 2016, recording 56 tackles and two forced fumbles. Watts has continued his excellence this season with 87 total tackles and four interceptions thus far. After this season, Watts will likely be an early round Draft Pick. PHOTOS By C. Morgan Engel, FILE
FILE
Head coach Kevin Sumlin and the Texas A&M Aggies return to College Station after their win over then No. 1 Alabama on November 10, 2012.
SUMLIN'S FIRING TAKEN CARE OF THE RIGHT WAY With bad examples all around, Texas A&M made the correct moves in relieving head coach Angel Franco
C
@angelmadison_
ollege football is a cut-throat profession — there’s no other way to put it. In the weeks that lead up to the end of any given season, head football coaches are fired left and right. This season, Texas A&M found itself at the center of a coaching controversy and was given several examples of how not to handle the firing of Kevin Sumlin. Arkansas fired Bret Bielema as he walked off the field against Missouri and UCLA notified Jim Mora that he was no longer the head coach on his birthday. The day following the Aggies’ 45-21 loss to LSU in Baton Rouge, Texas A&M notified Kevin Sumlin that he would no longer be the
head man in charge. Special teams coordinator Jeff Banks will take over in the meantime, as the Aggies still have to prepare for a bowl game. As the speculation continued to grow in the days leading up to the LSU game, there were a lot of things that could have gone wrong for the A&M athletics administration — some of them did, but they recovered. On the Tuesday leading up to the matchup in Death Valley, Sumlin held his weekly press conference and it was business as usual, until a series of questions about his future at A&M abruptly cut Sumlin’s availability short. However, at the time, Sumlin said he had not talked with officials within the department and to his knowledge he expected to be the coach at the end of the season. Later that day, the Houston Chronicle reported that sources within the department had
told the Chronicle that regardless of the outcome of the game against the Tigers, Sumlin was to be let go. Thus, began the storm of criticism on social media by coaches and players who were part of the A&M program. An unnamed assistant coach had some choice words on how the administration was handling the situation, reported by Sports Illustrated. On social media, team captains Cullen Gillaspia and Trayveon Williams candidly expressed their opinions, some of which were supported by Christian Kirk and other players in the form of retweets or likes. During his Wednesday teleconference, Sumlin remained confident that he was to retain his position. In the midst of all that, A&M had a very crucial game to prepare for, on the road, in arguably one of the most hostile environments
in the SEC. A&M was able to contain the rumors and keep the off the field distractions to a minimum. At first, it looked like Texas A&M was going to have a messy fallout with Sumlin. But at the end of the day, A&M officials let Sumlin do what was asked of him — try to win a football game — and when he was unable to do that, they stuck to their word and relieved him of his duties. Like in many cases, it's never easy to fire someone regardless of the position however, A&M gave Sumlin the treatment he deserved. Nothing but respect and class for a coach who arguably changed Texas A&M football for the better. Angel Franco is a telecommunication media studies junior and sports editor for The Battalion.
FOOTBALL
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The Battalion | 11.27.17
Sumlin’s decisive victories and dissapointing losses as A&M’s coach
THE WORST LOSSES
THE BEST VICTORIES
By Heath Clary @Heath_Clary
1
1
Looking back at Kevin Sumlin’s career at Texas A&M, there were six games that shaped his time in Aggieland.
2012 A&M 29, Alabama 24 Every SEC head coach is judged by how they do against Nick Saban, and Kevin Sumlin started strong in that category with a thrilling victory over top-ranked Alabama. Johnny Manziel flummoxed the Tide with his Houdini acts in the pocket en route to 345 total yards and two touchdown passes, but it was not until Deshazor Everett stepped in front of an AJ McCarron pass with 1:36 left in the fourth quarter that the victory was sealed. The win made the Aggies 8-2 on the season and kept them in the hunt for a top-tier bowl.
2014 Alabama 59, A&M 0 The Aggies looked like one of the nation’s best offenses in the first seven matchups of the 2014 season, but Alabama dominated them in all facets of the game in this lopsided affair. Blake Sims threw for 268 yards and three touchdowns and also rushed for a score as the Tide outscored the Aggies 35-0 in the second half. Alabama outgained A&M 602-172 yards while Kenny Hill threw for only 168 yards before being replaced under-center by Kyle Allen. Hill was suspended two weeks after, and later transferred.
2
2013 A&M 52, Duke 48
3
2016 A&M 45, Tennessee 38 (2OT)
3
2017 UCLA 45, A&M 44
Johnny Football ended his college career in dramatic fashion, leading the Aggies back from a 38-17 halftime deficit for an epic win in the highest-scoring game in Chick-fil-A Bowl history. Manziel threw for 382 yards and rushed for 73 more, as Kevin Sumlin improved his record to 20-6 at the helm of the A&M program. The Aggies trailed by 10 at the start of the fourth quarter, but two interceptions by Duke quarterback Anthony Boone paved the way for Manziel’s magic.
2
Photos from file, 12th Man and by C. Morgan Engel, Jenna Rabel, Lawrence Smelser.
2015 Ole Miss 23, A&M 3 The game was much more lopsided than the score would indicate in this one as the Aggies were completely shut down by the Rebels’ defense. Kyle Allen, who was later revealed to have a shoulder injury, completed just 12-of-34 passes for 88 yards before being benched in favor of Jake Hubenak in the fourth quarter. Chad Kelly threw for 241 yards and two touchdowns, and A&M freshman quarterback Kyler Murray did not play due to a sideline exchange he had with offensive coordinator Jake Spavital the previous week against Alabama.
The Aggies improved to 6-0 in the 2016 season with a wild double-overtime victory over Tennessee. With both teams 5-0 and ranked in the top ten, College GameDay came to College Station and the game did not disappoint. The Volunteers outscored A&M 21-7 in the fourth quarter to send the game to overtime, but Trevor Knight plunged into the endzone from a yard out to seal the victory for the Aggies. Trayveon Williams rushed for a freshman-record 217 yards, while Knight chipped in 110 yards on the ground and three touchdowns.
After storming out to a 38-10 halftime lead in this year’s season opener, the Aggies appeared to be on their way to victory until Josh Rosen got hot. The heralded NFL prospect engineered the largest FBS comeback since 2006, throwing for a whopping 491 yards and four touchdowns as the Bruins outscored the Aggies 28-0 in the fourth quarter alone. Trayveon Williams rushed for 203 yards and two touchdowns and Keith Ford chipped in three rushing touchdowns, but the A&M offense could not move the ball in the second half after starting quarterback redshirt freshman Nick Starkel fractured his ankle.
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AGGIELAND YEARBOOK It’s not too late to order your copy of the 2017 Aggieland Yearbook, a photojournalistic record of the 2016-2017 school year. The 115th edition of Texas A&M’s Official Yearbook will be available before the holidays.
Go online to aggieland.tamu.edu or call 979-845-2613 to make your purchase.
$75.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)
Don’t forget to preorder your copy of the 2018 Aggieland yearbook. The 116th edition of Texas A&M’s official yearbook. Ordering can be done online at aggieland.tamu.edu, or by calling 979-845-2613. Distribution will be the Fall 2018. 2016 Aggielands and previous yearbooks are now on sale. Stop by room L400 in the MSC or call 979-845-2613.
$40.00 + Tax (Includes Mail Fee)
Carol A. Fierke was selected for the position of provost and executive vice president on June 19 and officially took office on Oct. 16.
Meet the new Aggie provost Carol A. Fierke reflects on her first months and golas for A&M’s future By Savannah Mehrtens @SJMehrtens Chosen Texas A&M’s new provost during the summer, Carol A. Fierke started her time in office this semester with a specific set of goals and the experience needed to meet them. A renowned biochemist, Fierke was part of the faculty at Duke University before moving to the University of Michigan in 1999. During her time at the University of Michigan, Fierke was recognized for her improvements to education and campus environment. An active contributor to the University of Michigan’s ADVANCE program for highlighting diversity and excellence, Fierke received the 2016 American Chemical Society’s National Award for Encouraging Women into Careers in the Chemical Sciences. Interim Provost Douglas Palmer has worked closely with Fierke since the beginning of his time in office on June 19. Palmer and Fierke were in consistent contact during Palmer’s term as interim provost. Fierke said she believes the office’s coordination between provosts was handed very well. “I would say he was chosen because he is an outstanding leader at Texas A&M who is very knowledgeable and did an incredible job in a very difficult situation,” Fierke said. Palmer said she has the leadership skills to propel the university toward the future they hope to see. “I fully see that Dr. Fierke is going to continue to facilitate that and even maybe accelerate the kind of activity that’s going to have us be recognized throughout the campus in all areas really as an important state, national and international leader,” Palmer said. “It’s the pursuit of excellence, it’s the pursuit of programs that are going to result in the development of future leaders who are graduates of our programs and are also going to be developing new knowledge that’s going to have an impact.” Palmer was brought into his short term position after the removal of former provost Karan Watson. Palmer said he was called in the day before he was to start the job, making his transition into office somewhat abrupt. “It was a very busy time. Of course, I have to say, it’s a very busy job,” Palmer said. “You’re head of all academic operations across the campus, so that’s all of the colleges. Even in the summertime there’s a lot that’s going on, so I was very busy. In many ways it was also very familiar. I’ve been a dean here for almost 10 years, I knew a lot of people in this office, in the President’s office the deans and so forth.” After completing his time as interim provost by helping guide the transition of pow-
ers, Palmer plans on returning to the faculty. “My role now is essentially to be an advisor to Dr. Fierke,” Palmer said. “First of all, there’s a lot of time Dr. Fierke is going to spend learning about the campus and people, which speaks very well for a leadership style to focus in on who the people are and what’s going on and so forth, but I am essentially to help her in this transition for this time period, and then the plan after this is to go back to the faculty, education psychology.” Fierke said she is working to learn as much about the university as possible, so she can excel in her new office. “My goal for this semester was really information gathering, to understand what’s here, how are things done,” Fierke said. “I am spending a half a day in each of the schools, where I’ve met with the leadership of the school. I then spend some time meeting with either specific faculty or seeing resources that the school has, and then I have a faculty forum where I hear from the faculty about what’s going well, what their concerns are and they can also ask me questions.” Fierke said she aims to not only support students in the university system from the academic side, but also hopes to see their incorporation of learning outside of the classroom. “My office is really focusing on the academic side of the university, support of students, support of faculty, but support of students more in their scholarship and research and academic pursuit, not so much on the student life side of it,” Fierke said. “On the other hand, cocurricular and extracurricular are really important parts of your education on campus so we coordinate with student life in terms of making sure that students have the support on that side as well.” One of the many goals Fierke has is to facilitate research collaboration across fields — breaking down the barriers between departments to enhance the knowledge found through the institution’s researchers. “That’s one of the things I’ve heard from the faculty here, that they feel that we’re too siloed,” Fierke said. “So [the office is] particularly trying to figure out how to break down those silos and help faculty find each other and collaborate.” The Office of the Provost is working strategically to improve the university academically as a whole, focusing on what should be improved as well as what is going well, according to Fierke. As Fierke continues to learn about the university from an academic side, she has also started to learn about the Aggie Spirit and traditions, such as the core values, Midnight Yell and Muster. “Certainly the Aggie traditions are unique to Texas A&M,” Fierke said. “I would say Michigan was a place that was value driven, although I think it’s even stronger, that sense of values, at Texas A&M than even at Michigan.”
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