There’s a new head coach in Gainesville and he’s had an unlikely journey to the top.
Florida’s freshest hire was welcomed to campus Monday by athletic director Scott Stricklin. Jon Sumrall will finish out the season with Tulane as the Green Wave are No. 21 in the recent AP Poll and on the hunt for a College Football Playoff berth. The group will compete in the American Conference championship in hopes of reaching the postseason.
Sumrall is best known for bringing both Troy and Tulane to its respective peaks. He is the first coach in FBS history to make four conference title game appearances with two different schools in his first four years as head coach.
Although, it wasn’t always easy for the 43-year-old. Prior to his time wearing a headset, Sumrall could be found on the gridiron. He was a major figure on the Kentucky Wildcats’ defense from 2002-04, picking up 72 total tackles in his final season and leading the team.
“I had worked really hard to become a starter,” Sumrall said at his introductory press conference Monday. “Really, really hard. I could outwork people that were more talented than me. I was on several watch lists for awards coming out that spring and summer.”
Quickly following his productive season, Sumrall received news that altered his collegiate and personal life forever.
He was forced to hang up his cleats and No. 44 Wildcats jersey due to a cervical spinal stenosis diagnosis. The immense physical demands and grueling movement endured at his position as middle linebacker took a toll on his body.
“My arms were going numb for like, not like a couple plays or even a couple hours but they started going numb for a couple days where I couldn't grab stuff, and I was in severe pain,” Sumrall said.
He was at a much higher risk of permanent neck injuries following the diagnosis. If he had not given up the game he deeply loved, he had a higher likelihood of paralysis.
“I've given this game everything I'd had to become the player I was, which was a pretty average player, but I'd made myself an average player,” Sumrall said. “I was heartbroken because I'd invested so much into my own development.”
The now-Gators head coach was a junior at the time of the medical discovery. He was a three-year letterman at Kentucky who, coming out of high school, was playing at the top of his game.
Sumrall was a two-time all-state selection during his time at Grissom High School in Huntsville, Alabama. He was inducted into the Huntsville-Madison County Hall of Fame in 2023 for his efforts with the Tigers.
Upon Sumrall’s graduation from Kentucky, he received a call regarding Wildcats head coach Rich Brooks interested in him remaining with the program as a student coach.
“I got back to Lexington, Kentucky, and started coaching the next day, started coaching youth camp, and haven't looked back,” Sumrall said. “It's been the greatest blessing of my life to be a college football coach.”
Sumrall would go on to be a graduate assistant with Kentucky for the 2005 and 2006 seasons after earning a degree in finance.
Between his two stints as a Wildcats player and coach came four additional trips to various programs. Sumrall left Kentucky for San Diego as the Toreros’ defensive line coach from 2007-09, and later was promoted to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator.
Sumrall remained as DC, this time for Tulane. He coached the Green Wave on the first occasion from 2012-14. After three seasons with Troy and one with Ole Miss, Sumrall returned to Kentucky.
Prior to turning around two Group of Five programs from the helm, Sumrall returned to his alma mater. He was the inside linebackers coach at Kentucky from 2019-20, then was promoted to assistant head coach and defensive coordinator the following year.
He notched back-to-back 10-plus win seasons with Troy in 2022 and 2023. The feat came for the first time since the three consecutive seasons in 2016-2018.
Sumrall later took the reins of Tulane in December 2023. He brought the Green Wave to just its third 10-win season since 1998. His group saw a bowl game berth last season, but fell to the Gators 33-8.
Now, Sumrall will fill Florida’s vacant spot and sign a 6-year, $44.7 million contract as head coach.
“I respect that the Florida fan base is not patient,” Sumrall said. “They want to win right now, too. You've got the right coach. I'm wired that way. I'm not comfortable having a plan to win in eight years. I want to win tomorrow.”
Contact Riley Orovitz at rorovitz@alligator.org. Follow her on X @rileyorovitz.
Riley is a sophomore sports journalism student and is the swim & dive beat reporter for Fall 2025 in her first semester with The Alligator. In her free time, she may be watching past Miami Dolphins or Florida Panthers highlights or hanging out with her friends.
