Despite parting ways, Jon Sumrall is still deeply tied to Tulane’s postseason push. He remains a steady voice in the locker room as the program steps onto the biggest stage it has ever reached. And with a playoff rematch against the same Ole Miss squad that crushed Tulane 45-10 back in Week 4, Sumrall delivered the same line he’s repeated all week.

“You [Jake Retzlaff] only get one shot at this,” Jon Sumrall shares in a conversation with ESPN. “Have no regrets.”

That blunt instruction comes as Tulane enters its first College Football Playoff berth in school history. The Green Wave clinched the No. 11 seed by capturing the American Conference championship, rebounding from early-season losses to Ole Miss and UTSA to finish 11-2. Their reward? A first-round showdown on Dec. 20 in Oxford against a Rebels team that has dominated the matchup for decades.

This will be the 75th meeting between the programs dating back to 1893, and Ole Miss hasn’t lost to Tulane since 1988, carrying a 14-game win streak into the rematch. Both teams are new to the CFP stage, with the Rebels entering as the No. 6 seed after an 11–1 season. And the winner moves on to face No. 3 Georgia in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.

But the team’s mindset has undergone an important change from the first meeting with Ole Miss. Tulane had everything to prove then. Now, they’re stepping into the postseason with no pressure — a dangerous team with momentum and a coach urging them to play with total freedom.

“Let it all hang out and enjoy the opportunity,” Sumrall added. “Take it all in. Give everything you got, and let’s play together. Play as a team. Have fun going through this experience.

“There’s nothing that we’re going to do other than give our absolute best effort to this opportunity. I look forward to watching our guys go compete, man. You anticipate kind of harnessing that freedom as if, hey, we got nothing to lose.”

It’s almost poetic how Jon Sumrall poured out his blood and sweat to lead Tulane to new lofty feats. During his tenure as Tulane’s defensive coordinator, he led the team to its first postseason appearance (since 2002) in the 2013 New Orleans Bowl. As a head coach, he led the program to even greater heights. He has become the first coach to lead the Green Wave to a playoff berth. But it has been full of irony.

With a possible playoff berth at stake, he had nearly punched his way into the postseason. But a $44 million Florida offer and the SEC charm scooped him right to the Swamp. Although no longer in an official HC capacity, Jon Sumrall will be coaching the Green Wave through the playoffs.

Jon Sumrall is juggling two hats at the same time

On November 30, Jon Sumrall signed a six-year contract, earning him $7.6 million per year, making him $44 million during his Florida HC tenure.

After donning the Florida hat, Jon Sumrall has a lot piled up on his plate. Arriving among a passionate fan base, whose favorite head coach pick had been Lane Kiffin, Sumrall is adjusting to an SEC environment while simultaneously differentiating himself from the former head coach, Billy Napier.

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The Gators did not qualify for the postseason. But with a talented hotbed right across Florida’s backyard, Sumrall executed a smooth early signing day for the 2026 class. Meanwhile, Tulane is still calling. After coaching Tulane against North Texas in the AAC title game, his play-calling duties at Tulane’s sidelines are far from being over.

“We’re in pursuit of doing something special as a team,” he said to the press on Dec. 7.  “And I’d like to thank Tulane and Scott (Florida AD)and Florida for allowing me to go back with my guys and finish that job the right way.”

Juggling both Tulane and Florida simultaneously is a humongous task for the 43-year-old head coach. He admitted the challenge by saying it’s been “dizzying” at times.