Florida hires Jon Sumrall; Sumrall will coach rest of Tulane’s 2025 season

Sunday morning was a chaotic one for the American Conference which lost three of its top head coaches to SEC programs.

One coach affected by this movement was Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall, who departed for the opening at Florida. Sumrall spent two years at Tulane (2024-25), generating a 19-7 record and qualifying for the American Conference Championship Game in both seasons. Including his two Sun Belt title-winning seasons at Troy (2022-23), Sumrall has qualified for a conference championship in all four years as an FBS head coach.

However, Sumrall’s tenure at Tulane still has unfinished business. The head coach committed to coaching the Green Wave in their upcoming American Championship vs. North Texas, as well as any subsequent potential College Football Playoff games, per a statement from Tulane athletic director David Harris.

“Despite this transition, Coach Sumrall has asked for the opportunity to continue leading our program in its pursuit of an American Conference title and a championship in the College Football Playoff,” Harris issued in a statement. “That request has been granted.”

Sumrall guided the Green Wave to the American title game in his debut 2024 season, but his team fell to Army in 35-14 fashion. Tulane is preparing for its fourth-straight conference championship appearance (second under Sumrall), battling a North Texas team in an identical position in regard to its head coach — as North Texas head coach Eric Morris accepted the Oklahoma State job but will remain with the Mean Green through the remainder of the season. The game between Sumrall’s Green Wave and Morris’ Mean Green — with a College Football Playoff berth most likely given to the winner — transpires Friday, Dec. 5 at 8:00 p.m. ET in New Orleans.

Sumrall is the second Tulane head coach to depart for another program in the past three years, as Willie Fritz left for Houston following the 2023 American Championship loss to SMU. The former Kentucky linebacker (2002-04) takes a position at Florida, where he becomes the 31st full-time head coach in Gator history. Sumrall succeeds Billy Napier, who was fired on Oct. 19 after leading the Gators to a 22-23 record across four seasons. None of the last four head coaches at Florida completed four full seasons, and that includes Jim McElwain who made the SEC Championship Game in each of his first two years and Dan Mullen who qualified for New Year’s Six bowls (winning two) in each of his first three years.

The Gators finished below .500 in four of the last five seasons, faring 4-8 this year (3-4 at the time of Napier’s firing). Sumrall has never won fewer than nine games in a season as an FBS head coach, looking to transition his success from Troy to Tulane to Florida.

As for the Green Wave, a national coaching search is underway. Sumrall’s successor will be tasked with keeping the recent winning tradition alive, and Tulane will vie for its fifth-straight conference championship appearance under the coach to be named. But for now, Sumrall is still repping the Green Wave with a vision of making history before starting his newest venture.