Jon Sumrall appointed as the new Florida Gators Football Coach – Pictured: University of Florida campus – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Image by Bryan Pollard
The Florida Gators selected Jon Sumrall of Tulane as their new football coach on Sunday, emphasizing the necessity for a “dynamic” attack in the face of championship expectations.
The Gators are completing an agreement with Eagles executive and former Jaguars general manager Dave Caldwell to become the university’s general manager of football operations, according to sources who spoke to ESPN’s Jeff Darlington.
According to sources who spoke to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Sumrall, 43, signed a six-year contract with an average of around $7.5 million annually, with substantial incentives linked to the College Football Playoff.
In his four seasons as head coach, he has a 42-11 record—two in the Sun Belt at Troy and two in the American at Tulane. In each of the four seasons, he has advanced to the conference championship game.
“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,” Sumrall stated in a statement. “I think it’s important to create a team that is based on accountability, toughness, and an unwavering spirit of competition. Florida have everything the resources, support, heritage, and fervor of Gator Nation needed to compete at the highest level.
Sumrall “fully understands” the championship expectations at Florida, particularly the requirement for a “dynamic” attack, according to Stricklin’s statement.
“One of my first priorities,” stated Sumrall, “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!”
With a record of 10-2, the Green Wave have secured a berth in the American Conference championship matchup with North Texas. If Tulane is selected for the College Football Playoffs, Sumrall will stay with the Green Wave through the championship game next week.
In the announcement, Stricklin stated, “Very few coaches win big at two different non-power programs, and even fewer do it as quickly as Jon has done it.” “He joins a select group of coaches who have produced instant success at several stops, including Urban Meyer, Brian Kelly, and Willie Fritz. Jon’s history of quick turnaround times is a direct reflection of his leadership style and the culture he fosters.
Having played and served as a graduate assistant at Kentucky, Sumrall has a wealth of SEC knowledge. He has also coached linebackers at Ole Miss and inside linebackers at Kentucky.
He will take over for interim coach Billy Gonzales after Billy Napier was fired on October 19. After defeating rival Florida State on Saturday, the Gators ended the season with a 4-8 record.
“Jon Sumrall is a proven winner and an exceptional leader who has built successful programs at every stop,” Stricklin stated. “He contributes a great deal of energy, solid recruiting connections throughout our footprint, and a philosophy based on player development, discipline, and toughness. He will foster a culture of winning, accountability, and competition every day that propels our program’s success on the field.
This season, the Green Wave are ranked 64th in the nation for overall defense and 39th for overall offense. To aid in his reconstruction in Gainesville, Sumrall is anticipated to use outside coordinators.
Auburn also shown a lot of interest in him; on Sunday, they hired Alex Golesh from USF. Lane Kiffin, the Ole Miss coach who was eventually hired by LSU on Sunday, was neglected by Florida last week.
Caldwell, meantime, has spent the last five seasons molding the Eagles, who won a Super Bowl last season and advanced two more years earlier, and he helped together the Jaguars’ 2017 AFC title group.
The Gators think Caldwell’s knowledge of modern scouting and cap management will be a great fit in the new college environment.
Caldwell is presently employed with Gators alumnus Howie Roseman, general manager of the Eagles.
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Born and raised in South Florida, Krystal is a recent graduate from the University of Miami with professional writing experience at the collegiate and national news outlet levels. She’s a foodie who loves all things travel, the beach, & visiting new places throughout Florida.