GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida is hiring Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as its next head coach, settling for its second choice after Lane Kiffin reportedly picked LSU over the Gators.
Sumrall is finalizing a six-year contract with the Gators, a person familiar with the search told The Associated Press on Sunday. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither side had publicly confirmed the hire.
Sumrall will remain with the 22nd-ranked Green Wave for next week’s American Conference title game and through the College Football Playoff if Tulane makes the 12-team field.
The 43-year-old Sumrall played linebacker at Kentucky (2002-04) and returned to his alma mater for a three-year stint before becoming Troy’s head coach in 2022. He won consecutive Sun Belt championships in two seasons with the Trojans and then enjoyed similar success at Tulane.
Sumrall is 19-7 in two years in New Orleans and led the Green Wave to the American championship game both seasons. So he has made four league title games in four years as a head coach. The Gators are hoping he’s Urban Meyer 2.0 and not Billy Napier 2.0.
Sumrall was Auburn’s top target after the Tigers fired Hugh Freeze and also had been considered a possibility at Arkansas and Ole Miss. Florida made a late push when Kiffin’s interest in the Gators waned.
Luring Sumrall away from Auburn — he’s a Huntsville, Alabama, native and his wife graduated from Auburn — will be considered a solid pull in many circles. But Florida fans are likely to view him as a consolation prize, another gamble from a Group of Five conference.
Sumrall replaces Napier, who was fired in mid-October and went 22-23 over four seasons in Gainesville. Napier was nicknamed “Sun Belt Billy” because he often looked in over his head in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
Going back to Louisiana for another G5 coach? And a defensive guy to boot? That’s a bold move for Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin.
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