GAINESVILLE, Fla. (WCJB) – The University of Florida is hiring Jon Sumrall as its 31st head football, per multiple reports.
The news comes a day after the Gators defeated Florida State 40-21 and six weeks after they fired Billy Napier after three and a half seasons.
The 43-year-old comes to Gainesville from Tulane, where he spent the last two seasons as the head coach after serving in the same position at Troy for two years.
As a head coach, Sumrall holds a 42-11 record and was the 2022 Sun Belt Coach of the Year in his first year at Troy.
Sumrall compiled a 14-2 American Athletic Conference (AAC) record at Tulane, reaching the conference championship game for the second-straight year in 2025.
He also had a 14-2 record while coaching in the Sun Belt (SBC), winning the conference championship game in 2022 and 2023.
Born in Texarkana, Texas, Sumrall grew up in Huntsville, Alabama and played collegiately at the University of Kentucky as a linebacker, where he was named to SEC academic honor roll and selected Frank G. Ham Society of Character, a high honor for Wildcat student-athletes.
After his playing days concluded, Sumrall quickly got into coaching after earning a degree in finance from UK.
Sumrall’s coaching experience2005-2006: Kentucky graduate assistant2007-2011: San Diego various positions2012-2014: Tulane co-defensive coordinator2015-2017: Troy assistant head coach2018: Ole Miss linebackers coach2019-2020: Kentucky linebackers coach2021: Kentucky co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach2022-2023: Troy head coach2024-2025: Tulane head coach
In the recruiting trails, Sumrall turned in a top 70 class for Tulane last season, according to 247Sports and the Green Wave currently holds the No. 72 overall class, while movement with commits may be fluid before signing day due to Sumrall’s departure.
RELATED: That’s Baugh Game: Baugh explodes in 40-21 Gators victory over Seminoles
Sumrall has a wife, Ginny, also of Huntsville, of whom they have four: Sam, Sadie, Stella and Selah.
An official announcement from the UAA and Sumrall is expected to come in the near future.
Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
Copyright 2025 WCJB. All rights reserved.