GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The new era for the University of Florida football program starts Monday when the Gators introduce their new head coach, Jon Sumrall, at 3:45 p.m. ET.
What You Need To Know
The Gators will introduce Jon Sumrall of Tulane as their new football coach Monday
He will come to Gainesville full time after the Green Wave complete the 2025 college football postseason
Sumrall finalized a six-year, $44.7 million contract that comes with incentives, according to AP
He said his first task will be hiring an offensive coordinator to give Florida a major boost
Sumrall, currently the head coach at Tulane, won’t completely make the transition until after the college football postseason is complete. He will coach the Green Wave against North Texas in the American Conference Championship Game on Friday, and maybe after that, if Tulane is selected for the College Football Playoff.
When he arrives on Florida’s campus, it will be his first step in creating a home with the Gators.
Florida Athletic Director Scott Strickland said he wanted a winner, and that’s Sumrall. He has the fifth-highest win-percentage among active Football Bowl Series coaches, and is 42-11 in four seasons as coach at Troy and Tulane. He reached the conference championship game each of those four years.
Sumrall finalized a six-year, $44.7 million contract that comes with incentives, according to a person familiar with the search. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because financial details were not released. The deal averages $7.45 million annually.
“One of my first priorities will be to assemble an incredible staff, including an offensive coordinator who understands that, at Florida, having an explosive offense isn’t optional,” Sumrall said in a statement. “It’s mandatory.”
The Gators haven’t had a top-five offense in the Southeastern Conference since 2020-21.
To find the last time they had a top 10 offense in the nation, you have to go back to 2009.
Sumrall will look to change that.
He wasn’t the first choice of many Gators, who had hoped to hire Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin. But Kiffin selected LSU over Florida.
He replaces Billy Napier, who was fired Oct. 19, after a 3-4 start to this season and a 22-23 record overall with the Gators. Napier was hired from Louisiana, where he went 40-12 over four seasons.
Billy Gonzales took over as interim coach at Florida to finish out the Gators’ season.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.