After two successful seasons with Tulane, Jon Sumrall accepted the head coaching role at Florida. The Gators chased Lane Kiffin for a while but eventually landed Sumrall after the former moved to LSU.  While the Power Four job is a big upgrade, Sumrall knows the sting he’s leaving behind at the Green Wave. Before departing New Orleans for Gainesville, Sumrall addressed his legacy with the program in his two-year tenure.

“I gave everything I had to the place, to the people, to the players,” said Sumrall. “We’ve been so connected to the city, me, my family, and we’ve embraced it, and we felt embraced back. This will forever be a home to us. We’ve got great friendships here, very fond memories here. My oldest two kids were born here when I was an assistant coach. So, the city of New Orleans, Tulane, our players, I just want to know how much we love them and how much this place means to us.”

The 43-year-old has a long history with Tulane. He worked as Tulane’s co-defensive coordinator and as defensive line and linebackers coach from 2012 to 2013, under head coach Curtis Johnson. After moving to Ole Miss, Kentucky, and Troy, Sumrall was hired as the 42nd head coach of Tulane in December 2023.

In the two seasons as the Green Wave HC, he held a 19-7 record, bringing the school to the AAC Championship twice, and elevated the program to a ranked team, ranking 20th in the CFP ranking. His notable success landed him the Florida job. However, his love for Tulane led him to negotiate with Florida to coach Tulane’s postseason games in 2025, before taking over the Gators’ job. Sumrall is now preparing the Green Wave for their fourth straight AAC championship game on Friday, Dec. 05, against North Texas.

Jon Sumrall understands the challenge in Florida

Florida’s coaching search came to an end, as Jon Sumrall was officially announced as the next head coach on Sunday, Nov. 30. Sumrall’s impressive 42-11 career record and the way he built Tulane for title contention landed him the Power Four HC role. As per reports, Sumrall signed a 6-year contract with the Gators, which earns him $7.6 million annually, making his contract a $44 million deal. 

“I knew in my mind there were about 10 or 12 jobs that were going to move the needle for me to pick up my family and go do something different that I thought could be maybe like a forever-type job if you do it right. And that is what excites me, I think. Passionate fan base, all the resourcing you need, the toughest conference, all those things,” Sumrall said in his introduction speech with the Gators on Monday.

As soon as he gave his introductory speech, he left Gainesville to prepare Tulane for the AAC title game. The Gators allowed Sumrall to continue coaching in the postseason games.

“I’m, right now, wearing two hats,” Sumrall said. “It’s been a bit dizzying at times.”