Report: Odds of Charlie Strong, Kevin Sumlin returning now ‘roughly equal’

Industry sources now believe that Texas Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong and Texas A&M Aggies head coach Kevin Sumlin have similar odds to return next season, according to Dan Wolken of USA TODAY.

Strong has been on the hot seat since losing four out of five games from September into November and demoting defensive coordinator Vance Bedford following a string of poor defensive performances.

A recent win over then No. 8-ranked Baylor and the season’s first road victory over Texas Tech helped spark some optimism that diminished after losing a winnable game against No. 16 West Virginia last week.

The word from Austin, according to those three people with connections, is that president Greg Fenves “would prefer not to have to make the change for a variety of reasons.”

That calculus could change with a loss at Kansas or at home to TCU the day after Thanksgiving, at which point there could be a more clear view of Sumlin’s future in College Station.

The 6-0 start for the Aggies had Sumlin once again riding high, with increased hopes of finishing strong on the recruiting trail, especially in head-to-head match ups against the struggling Longhorns.

And then the last month happened — first an understandable loss to No. 1-ranked Alabama, then a couple of bad losses to Mississippi State and Ole Miss, teams with a current combined record of 9-11.

Now there’s a booster uprising, according to the sources, as the returns continue to diminish in College Station.

So keep an eye on the Thanksgiving contest between Texas A&M and LSU, as it could suddenly determine Sumlin’s future.

The same for Strong the following day, assuming that the worst-case scenario doesn’t come to fruition in Lawrence.

Recruits have been waiting for the season’s outcome regarding the two coaches for months.

Now it looks like Strong once again has a chance to come out on top in a major change of fortunes.