GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida hired Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as its next coach Sunday, settling for its second choice after Lane Kiffin picked LSU over the Gators.
Sumrall finalized a six-year, $44.7 million contract that comes with incentives, according to a person familiar with the search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details were not released. The deal averages $7.45 million annually.
The 43-year-old Sumrall will remain with the 22nd-ranked Green Wave for next week’s American Conference title game and through the College Football Playoff if Tulane makes the 12-team field.
The Gators also are on the verge of signing front-office executive, Dave Caldwell, who won a Super Bowl during his five seasons with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, as their general manager. He previously spent eight years (2013-20) with the Jacksonville Jaguars and built a roster that made the AFC title game.
Caldwell is expected to help manage Florida’s salary cap and evaluate college talent as demands on coaches have expanded with the burgeoning transfer portal and name, image and likeness payments.
Sumrall played linebacker at Kentucky (2002-04) and returned to his alma mater for a three-year stint before becoming Troy’s head coach in 2022. He won consecutive Sun Belt championships in two seasons with the Trojans and then enjoyed similar success at Tulane.
Sumrall is 19-7 in two years in New Orleans and led the Green Wave to the American championship game both seasons. So he has made four league title games in four years as a head coach. The Gators are hoping he’s Urban Meyer 2.0 and not Billy Napier 2.0.
“Not many coaches win big at two different non-Power programs, and even fewer do it as quickly as Jon has done it,” Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said. “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.”
Sumrall had been considered a possibility at Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss. Florida made a late push when Kiffin’s interest in the Gators waned. Florida fans are likely to view him as a consolation prize, another gamble from a Group of Five conference.
Sumrall replaces Napier, who was fired in mid-October and went 22-23 over four seasons in Gainesville. Napier was nicknamed “Sun Belt Billy” because he often looked in over his head in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
Going back to Louisiana for another G5 coach? And a defensive guy to boot? That’s a bold move for Stricklin, who is sure to draw the ire of the Florida faithful for failing to land Kiffin.
He was roundly booed at a championship celebration to honor men’s basketball coach Todd Golden and his title-winning team in April. Now, the fan base is calling for his job.
A website titled FireScottStricklin.com documents Stricklin’s shortcomings, and some fans organized a rally Sunday outside Florida Field to promote Stricklin’s “immediate removal.”
But Stricklin seemingly has the support of the Board of Trustees, which gave him a three-year contract extension in June and allowed him to conduct a coaching search that included roughly 10 interviews without interference.
There were rumors and reports about boosters getting involved and straining relationships with Kiffin and his camp. But Stricklin made it clear he was the only one making the hire. Kiffin chose LSU after a public tug-of-war involving all three schools.
Kiffin’s family members took scouting trips to Gainesville and Baton Rouge, and he met with administrators and fundraisers on several occasions. The trip to Gainesville was underwhelming, according to people familiar with the search, and high school football in the area left plenty to be desired.
Florida even turned to Heisman Trophy winners Steve Spurrier and Danny Wuerffel during its pursuit of Kiffin, who eventually slowed communication with UF officials to the point where the Gators decided they had to move on in a crowded market.
Now, Sumrall will be counted on to lead a downtrodden program back to prominence in the powerhouse Southeastern Conference.
Tulane’s numbers are far from gaudy: The Green Wave rank 39th in the country in total offense and 64th in total defense. Sumrall is expected to hire outside coordinators and an NFL-style general manager to help him rebuild in Gainesville.
The Gators (4-8) clearly have talent and ended a dismal season with one of their best performances, a 40-21 victory against rival Florida State in the Swamp in which running back Jadan Baugh ran for a career-high 266 yards and two touchdowns and DJ Lagway threw for three scores.
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