Jon Sumrall’s knack for engineering instant turnarounds at Troy and Tulane offers Gainesville a glimmer of hope as the Florida Gators attempt to navigate a grueling SEC schedule.
The Florida Gators took a risk by hiring Jon Sumrall to replace Billy Napier, but recent history shows they made the right decision.
Like when the Gators hired Napier, Sumrall does not have any experience as a head coach at the Power 4 level. There will be a learning curve for Sumrall this year as he gets used to coaching in the SEC, full of elite players and coaches.
Sumrall was a highly sought-after head coach last season as he led Tulane to the College Football Playoff. He also has a history of turning programs into immediate winners.
In 2022, his first season with Troy, Sumrall went 12-2 and won the Sun Belt Conference. In 2024, he went 9-5 with Tulane but 7-1 in the American Conference.
Cody Nagel of CBS Sports named Florida as one of the top teams in college football that can improve its win total from last season. That shouldn't be a problem for Sumrall, inheriting a 4-8 program.
Nagel thinks Sumrall's history of winning early with programs should be a reason for optimism in Gainesville this fall.
"If the Gators are able to hit the over on their projected win total with eight regular-season victories, it would be the first time in six years that they have reached that mark," Nagel wrote.
"Even with the juice on the under, those are lofty expectations for first-year coach Jon Sumrall in Gainesville. The jump from the Group of Six to the SEC is significant -- just ask Billy Napier how that went. But Sumrall has built a résumé few first-year SEC coaches can match, averaging 9.75 regular-season wins over four seasons at Troy and Tulane."
Unlike Troy and Tulane, the Gators will have better talent this season.
"Florida also returns nine starters from last season despite losing seven players to the 2026 NFL Draft," Nagel wrote.
"Running back Jadan Baugh and edge rusher Jayden Woodsare among the key pieces back after the Gators were able to keep them out of the transfer portal."
Of course, that talent is relative. While the roster will be better than Tulane's last season, the Gators will face much tougher competition in the SEC. The Green Wave were blown out in both contests against Ole Miss last season.
