Florida officially announced the signing of Tulane's Jon Sumrall as the next Gators head football coach on Sunday. Sumrall, 43, has a 42-11 record as a head coach in his career.
UF athletic director Scott Stricklin and others made their comments regarding the hiring on Sunday:
Scott Stricklin:
"Jon Sumrall is a proven winner and an exceptional leader who has built successful programs at every stop. He brings tremendous energy, strong recruiting relationships across our footprint, and a philosophy rooted in toughness, discipline and player development. He will cultivate a daily culture of competitiveness, accountability and winning that drives success on the field and throughout our program. Jon fully understands the expectations at the University of Florida, including our expectations to produce championship teams that feature a dynamic offense, and we're excited to welcome him and his family to Gator Nation.
"Not many coaches win big at two different non-Power programs, and even fewer do it as quickly as Jon has done it. He joins rare company—coaches like Urban Meyer, Brian Kelly and Willie Fritz—who've delivered immediate success at multiple stops. Jon's track record of rapid turnarounds speaks directly to his leadership and the culture he establishes."
"Jon leads with integrity, communicates with clarity and holds himself and his teams to the highest standards. He is the right leader to lead Florida Football towards the elite success all Gators desire."
Jon Sumrall:
"The University of Florida is one of the premier programs in college football, and it's an incredible honor to serve as the head football coach. I believe in building a team rooted in toughness, accountability and a relentless competitive spirit. Florida has everything necessary to compete at the highest level—the resources, the support, the tradition and the passion of Gator Nation. My family and I are excited to get to work.
"One of my first priorities will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn't optional – it's mandatory!".
Former Florida coach Steve Spurrier:
"I'm 100 percent supportive of the hiring of Coach Sumrall. He is an excellent choice and has the track record to prove it. He is a young coach on the way up and certainly has a winning record and produced winning teams. He is coaching in his fourth straight league's championship game Friday night. He's a proven winner and he will bring a little more fire and emotion to our team."
Former Florida quarterback Danny Wuerfell
"I got the chance to talk with Jon Sumrall and I'm really excited for him to be our new coach! He is a winner. His passion is contagious. He is a great leader of men. And for those offensive minded folks—like me—he understands us and is committed to hiring an elite OC. I'm as excited to be a Gator as I've been in a long time."
Former Florida coach Urban Meyer:
"What a special day for Gator Nation. Jon is one of the top young coaches in the game. I've studied Coach Sumrall and have gotten to spend some time with him. His teams are tough, physical and he creates a competitive environment. I look forward to getting to know him even more and the special things he will do at Florida."
Jacksonville Jaguars Head Coach Liam Coen:
"He's an absolute stud. I've got a ton of respect for Jon Sumrall as a man, as a person, as a coach. He can connect with all walks of life. Recruits, there's not many better recruiters I've been around at all positions, not just on defense, but the entirety of it. And I know his teams play their tails off. That's something that you've just continued to see."
Contact Max Bernstein at mbernstein@alligator.org. Follow him on X @maxbernstein23.
Max is in his sixth semester at The Alligator and now serves as The Alligator's Football Reporter and is a junior sports journalism student. He previously served as The Alligator's Sports Editor, and served as reporter for women's tennis, volleyball and lacrosse. He also has made multiple appearances on the Paul Finebaum Show. He wants to shoutout his cats, Scooter and Zoe, and niche former Florida Panthers players (shoutout Tomas Kopecky).
