The Tulane Green Wave are flying high at 6-2 this season, but all eyes aren’t just on the scoreboard. Head coach Jon Sumrall might leave them in panic. He comes off as the frontrunner to replace Hugh Freeze at Auburn, whose departure cost the Tigers $15.8 million. With a 27% shot at the Auburn gig, Sumrall’s name is buzzing. But experts say before he jumps aboard, he’d be wise to study Lane Kiffin’s turbulent tenure at USC.

On the November 5th episode of the Saturday Down South podcast, analyst Connor O’Gara flipped through pages of history to Kiffin’s time in USC, only for Sumrall. “If you’re Jon Sumrall, you can’t just listen to what an AD is telling you because they’re all gonna tell you all these different things,” said the analyst. Sumrall walks in with a strong resume. He spent two seasons at the Trojans, racking up back-to-back Sun Belt crowns and a 23-4 mark, then brought his magic to Tulane. Sumrall also held assistant positions at both Kentucky and Ole Miss. But maybe he still needs to tread very carefully to avoid what Kiffin experienced.

“I think it was the USC AD at the time who said we’re not going to hit with these big-time sanctions…We’re not going to get faced with all this,” reminded the analyst. But in the end, the program failed to keep its promise. The USC opportunity was a double-edged sword for Kiffin, as lingering NCAA sanctions from the Reggie Bush era kept the program from gaining traction. 

The NCAA came down hard on USC. They handed out a two-year bowl ban. With it came stripping the Trojans of 30 scholarships. They also erased every win Reggie Bush played in from late 2004 through 2005. The verdict, a stinging “lack of institutional control,” left the proud program staggering under four years of probation. Why is Sumrall asked to pay attention?

Kiffin thought he was stepping into a powerhouse job. But instead, the foundation collapsed beneath him because of the penalties he wasn’t fully warned about. Time for Sumrall to do his homework, as the analyst hinted at how ADs often oversell the stability of the programs.

Tulane signed the head coach to a contract extension in December 2024. The university stayed tight-lipped about the details of Sumrall’s new agreement. However, his last deal was set to run through 2029 with an estimated $3 million per year, per ESPN. If anyone can appreciate Kiffin’s story, it’s Sumrall. After all, he has some fond memories with the family.

Monte Kiffin’s strong message for Jon Sumrall

Kiffin took up the head coaching role at Ole Miss in 2020. Even before that, Sumrall served as the Rebels’ linebackers coach in 2018. But his coaching journey was not that smooth- a personal foul and some behind-the-scenes chaos quickly derailed Sumrall’s plan. That’s when the legend Monte Kiffin stepped in one day to boost the coach’s morale.

He came to the Rebels camp to meet Sumrall. “He comes over, and he goes, ‘Hey, our team is way better than y’all,’ he said, ‘but man, y’all are tough,’” the Tulane head coach recalled the memorable incident. “Keep doing what you’re doing.” Just what Sumrall needed at the moment. Carrying Monte’s kind words with him, Sumrall has shifted multiple bases and is now the head of a program.

This season, under Jon Sumrall, the Green Wave football has spread its net in the ACC, holding a 6-2 record so far. Maybe that’s what enhances the fear of losing him. And what makes their head coach a good fit for the Auburn job? The Tigers need a coach wired for battle- sharp, disciplined, and mentally relentless. Sumrall fits that DNA. He coaches like a linebacker on patrol, spotting everything, demanding execution. But now that the Lane Kiffin reminder is here, will he take a chance in swapping the wagon?