After a long search for their new head coach, the Florida Gators finally made a decision on Sunday. Following the move to fire Billy Napier in the middle of the season, Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall ended up being the choice to lead the program into the future.
Sumrall was a coveted coaching option for many different schools who were looking for a new head coach.
Early on in the search, Florida had zeroed in on trying to pry Lane Kiffin away from Ole Miss. Fairly quickly, the LSU Tigers made a full-court press and made hiring Kiffin impossible for the Gators. They quickly turned their attention to Sumrall.
Read more: Ole Miss Has Been Linked to Potential Deion Sanders Move
While many are happy with the hire for Florida, there are others who don’t think that Sumrall will move the needle for the Gators.
One person who isn’t a big fan of the move is none other than notable college football analyst Paul Finebaum.
During an appearance on the “Matt Barrie Show,” Finebaum opened up with his opinion of the move. He clearly doesn’t think that Sumrall will be the guy that leads Florida back to being a championship level contender.
“Jon Sumrall will only prove one thing for the University of Florida,” Finebaum said. “They were able to beat Auburn for the guy who Auburn wanted. I don’t know what else it proves. I don’t know how Jon Sumrall fits there. He fit Auburn very well. I’m not sure anybody fits Florida.”
Throughout his tenure as the head coach at Tulane from 2024 through the 2025 season, Sumrall led the program to a 19-7 record. In his previous two years at Troy, his record was 23-4.
Read more: Notre Dame HC Marcus Freeman Emerging as NFL Coaching Candidate
So far, Sumrall has found success with both programs that he has been with. Perhaps he will be able to find the same kind of success with the Gators. They certainly need a coach who can be a long-term leader.
Only time will tell and opinions are always split when a hire is originally made. However, Sumrall has a great track record and will be looking to silence all of his critics by taking the proud Florida program back to contending relevance.
For more on the Florida Gators and college football news, head to Newsweek Sports.