The Mumme Returns

His career was over. Done with. Finished. Down the drain in disgrace. Boosters had been asked to contribute money to pay for recruits to attend his summer football camps. Over 20 recruits “took advantage” of these now “fee free trips”. Over one thousand dollars was sent to a Memphis High School football coach for “assistance in convincing certain recruits” to attend his school. And we are not even talking about the University of Alabama. As Shakespeare so aptly put it when he named his comedic play….”All’s well that ENDS well…”

You see, in synergy with Tim Couch, Hal Mumme was on a rocket ride from obscurity to offensive genius. His team set records, won games, earned bowl bids, and filled Commonwealth Stadium at a school known for basketball, not football. Commonwealth stadium piped in an air-raid siren, and played Jimmy Buffet music over the loud speakers. He was Steve Spurrier on training wheels. And then, the wheels came off. For all of the flamboyant promise Hal Mumme arrived in Lexington with, he departed disgraced and dejected.

Mumme arrived at Kentucky flippant and fun, but ill equipped for what an SEC Head Football coach must deal with. What he knew was X’s and O’s, but what he wasn’t prepared for was the P’s and Q’s. His air-bomb attack got high passing marks, but he flunked miserably with public relations, media relations and NCAA compliance.

Hal Mumme left in disgrace.

While out on his almost 2 year exile (sabbatical) from football, an even deeper wound would hit him and his wife, June. She would find out that she had breast cancer. She had a lumpectomy followed by a mastectomy followed by six months of chemotherapy followed by years of as-yet-not-finished treatment. I cannot imagine what this would do to one, but perhaps for Hal Mumme, this put things into perspective.

Following an 18 month hiatus from football, he was hired as the head coach of Southeastern Louisiana. While there for one season, 2003, his team led all Division I-AA teams in total offense per game of 537.1 yards and passing offense per game of 408 yards. In December, 2004, Hal Mumme was named the head football coach of New Mexico State University.

On Saturday, a new movie will hit Auburn, Alabama. It is called “The Mumme Returns”.

Yes, Hal Mumme returns to the Southeastern Conference, bringing his New Mexico State Aggies to face our beloved Auburn Tigers. I am sure there will be a total air-blitz attack. I hope we are ready.

War Eagle!

WJLaneSr