Jon Sumrall and the Florida Gators have made another move for their coaching staff.
Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall has been very busy since accepted the head-coaching job in Gainesville back in late November.
Sumrall put together a rather enviable haul in the transfer portal, so impressive that Florida was placed 12th in On 3's transfer portal rankings. He has also been very active on the recruiting trail, with the Gators popping up for countless top 2027 recruits.
And of course, Sumrall has been working tirelessly to put together the very best coaching staff around him, and he made another move in that regard on Thursday.
Florida has hired Wofford co-defensive coordinator Jonathan Saxon to its staff, via ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Saxon will focus on the Gators' defensive line, where he will work alongside of defensive line coach Gerald Chatman.
Prior to arriving at Wofford in 2023, he had served on South Carolina State's coaching staff for eight years. During his latter four years at South Carolina State, he held a position as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
This will not, however, represent Saxon's first taste of a major program, as he also worked for Louisville's coaching staff a decade-and-a-half ago.
Florida Gators coach Jon Sumrall. Credit: Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Sumrall is taking over a Florida program that went just 4-8 this past season and has posted just one winning campaign over its last five years.
That seems unheard of for a Gators squad that had been a national power for so long under Urban Meyer, but it should also be noted that Florida has been fading as a top-tier school for quite some time now.
Sumrall is aiming to bring some pride back to The Swamp, and he may be just the man for the job.
The 43-year-old had previously spent four years as a head coach for Troy and Tulane, splitting his time between both schools.
During that period, Sumrall went 43-12, most recently leading Tulane to an 11-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance.
Of course, coaching in the SEC is an entirely different ballgame, so we will have to see how Sumrall adjusts to the rigors of a Power-4 conference.
One thing is for sure, though: the atmosphere already appears different in Gainesville.
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