It’s been a wild weekend in college football, with much of the attention centered on Lane Kiffin and whether he would remain at Ole Miss or leave for Baton Rouge to become the next head coach of the LSU Tigers.
Kiffin hoped to coach the Rebels through the College Football Playoffs — which they’re expected to reach — but after accepting the LSU job, his request to stay through the postseason was denied by the school’s AD Keith Carter.
That said, Kiffin wasn’t the only major move on Sunday, one day after the regular season wrapped up. Several SEC programs made hires, including the Florida Gators, who agreed to a six-year deal with Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall.
Shortly after the news broke, legendary former Gators coach and current “Big Noon Kickoff” analyst Urban Meyer reacted to Florida bringing Sumrall in as the program’s next head coach.
“Big day for Gator Nation,” Meyer wrote on X. “Jon Sumrall is one of the top young coaches in the country—tough, competitive, and a proven winner. Florida is getting a big-time leader. Go Gators!”
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Meyer went into detail on why Sumrall is the right hire for Florida, highlighting the success he’s had at Tulane over the past four seasons, including leading the team to their fourth consecutive AAC Championship Game on Saturday against North Texas.
“What a special day for Gator Nation,” Meyer said. “Welcome head football coach Jon Sumrall. One of the top five coaches in winning percentage in college football. I’ve studied Coach Sumrall and spent some time with him over the last few months. His teams are tough, they’re physical, and he creates a competitive environment. If he wins a championship this year, it’ll be his third conference title in the last four years. So again, welcome to Gator Nation, Jon Sumrall.”
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Sumrall will be replacing Billy Napier, who Florida fired on Oct. 19 after compiling a 22-23 record midway through his fourth season with the program. The Gators have struggled over the past several years, with their last national championship coming in 2008 under Meyer, who also led them to a title in 2006 before departing for Ohio State.
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