After a huge Week 11 win, is Tulane finally getting the national attention it deserves? It certainly seems that way. With a 7-2 overall record, Tulane sits at No. 3 in the AAC under Jon Sumrall’s leadership. While the Green Wave didn’t make the initial Top 25 CFP rankings, their 38-32 victory over Memphis in Week 11 has paved the way not only to the conference title game but also toward a potential Group of Five automatic CFP bid. Coaches and AP voters are starting to take notice, and now national media attention is following suit.

On Sunday, CBS Sports’ Brandon Marcello released his Top 10 Most Impressive Teams of Week 11, placing Sumrall’s Tulane squad at No. 2, just behind Cal. Although the first place didn’t go to them, it’s a remarkable achievement for a second-year coach who joined Tulane in 2024 and quickly made an impact. In his first season, Sumrall led the team to a 9-5 overall record and a Gasparilla Bowl appearance, helping Tulane climb to No. 17 in the fourth CFP ranking.

The praise hasn’t gone unnoticed. Former players and analysts, including Josh Pate, have highlighted Sumrall’s influence. “Jon Sumrall is only a fourth-year head coach, but he’s got two titles at Troy. He just went 9-5 at Tulane. We went down there a couple of months ago, spent the afternoon with him, and he just gets it. I don’t know; you know when you’re sitting with the real deal. He’s the real deal.”

This season, Tulane’s bounce-back performance in the win against Memphis after their 48-26 UTSA loss was a defining moment. Besides, the 43-year-old HC brought young energy to the coaching staff. He hired special teams coordinator Johnathan Galante and reunited with strength guru Rusty Whitt, a trusted figure from his Troy days. “That’s my No. 1 rule when it comes to hiring people: Hire good people. Like, no a-holes allowed,” mentioned Sumrall.

Considering all these, while the Tulane job was a return for Sumrall after his 2012-2014 stint serving as a co-DC, his SEC ties immediately put him into the rumor mill and onto candidate lists in the ongoing coaching carousel of CFB. And now ESPN’s Paul Finebaum has a bold take on the future of Tulane’s HC.

What could be Jon Sumrall’s future destination?

In the SEC, LSU, Florida, and Arkansas have already made mid-year firings, while Auburn recently joined that list. Now, all have announced their interim HCs, but the search for a steady hand is still underway. Here’s where ESPN’s Paul Finebaum shared his take on Auburn’s next HC. “One of those four has a betting favorite,” stated Finebaum. “And the betting favorite at Auburn is Jon Sumrall, the Tulane coach who held on Friday night, won at Memphis 38-32.” But the ESPN personality didn’t just toss Sumrall’s name in casually.

“It’s not the hire that wows America, but if that ends up being the case, and we’re speculating, I think almost every Auburn fan that I’ve talked to would be thrilled. That job is so much better than I think it’s being given credit for,” admitted Finebaum. Now with nearly 45 years of experience in sports media, Finebaum’s words speak volumes.

However, Jon Sumrall isn’t just a favorite for the Auburn job. Many linked him to the LSU job, too. As a former Kentucky LB and assistant under Mark Stoops, he knows the conference culture inside out. And that SEC connection can be a trigger for the HC’s Tulane future. But for now, Sumrall is focused on his team and shut down all rumors, as rumors are a byproduct of success.