{"id":384485,"date":"2026-08-29T12:10:10","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T12:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/384485\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T12:10:10","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T12:10:10","slug":"sumrall-meyer-find-kindred-spirits-as-fellow-uf-coaches","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/384485\/","title":{"rendered":"Sumrall, Meyer find kindred spirits as fellow UF coaches"},"content":{"rendered":"

GAINESVILLE \u2014 Gators head coach Jon Sumrall<\/a> was in awe when he first saw Urban Meyer<\/a> walking across a hotel lobby during a national convention.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m like, \u2018That\u2019s Urban Meyer, holy cow,’\u201d Sumrall recently told the Orlando Sentinel.<\/p>\n

Years later, sitting across from Meyer in his office, Sumrall felt at ease. There was something familiar about the Hall of Fame coach<\/a> who once commanded the same chair at Florida.<\/p>\n

Since Meyer helped lure Sumrall to Gainesville in November, the two men have quickly bonded \u2014 to the point that, during a conversation last spring, each was practically finishing the other one\u2019s sentences.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I could be related to him,\u201d Sumrall said. \u201cWhen we have a conversation, we are saying a lot of the same things back and forth.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kindred spirits<\/p>\n

Few can relate to the position Sumrall now holds. Fewer have succeeded in it. Even less have survived it.<\/p>\n

No man understands this better than Meyer.<\/p>\n

He arrived in Gainesville at age 39 and led the Gators to a pair of national titles before wearing down after five seasons and stepping away after just one more.<\/p>\n

But Meyer is confident Sumrall is built to handle \u2014 and potentially thrive in \u2014 a job that chewed up and spit out four coaches after Meyer stepped away in 2010.<\/p>\n

\"FloridaFlorida coach Jon Sumrall, left, chats with former Gators coach Urban Meyer after Sumrall was introduced Dec. 1 at the University of Florida in Gainesville. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Meyer sensed it from the start.<\/p>\n

When Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin<\/a> asked him to get a read on an up-and-coming coach from Tulane, Meyer picked up the phone after hearing Auburn was interested in Sumrall, whose wife Ginny went to school on the Plains.<\/p>\n

The two coaches clicked during a quick chat. Meyer was sold after a longer conversation later that day.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just was like, \u2018Man, this guy\u2019s it,’\u201d Meyer told the Sentinel. \u201cI\u2019ve never had a call like this, other than with one of my guys.\u201d<\/p>\n

What impressed Meyer most is what Sumrall didn\u2019t say.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn this day and age complaining about NIL and transfer this, transfer that \u2014 that\u2019s usually the second sentence out of every coach\u2019s mouth \u2014 it wasn\u2019t that at all,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cIt was about toughness. It was about special teams. He told me all about his strength program, and you know how fired up I get when you start doing that \u2014 because that\u2019s how you win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sumrall then hit Meyer\u2019s sweet spot.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe word Tuesday practice came up, and I was like, \u2018Wow,\u2019\u201d Meyer said.<\/p>\n

Meyer\u2019s \u201cBloody Tuesdays\u201d set the tone for his championship program at Florida. The two-hour-plus, full-contact practices strained his players\u2019 mental and physical wills while developing the mentality to produce a 47-7 record and two national titles from 2006-09.<\/p>\n

A ringing endorsement<\/p>\n

When Meyer finally hung up the phone, he was sold. He soon called Stricklin.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, obviously you got to do what you got to do with this guy. He\u2019s built of the right stuff,\u201d Meyer recalled.<\/p>\n

The endorsement confirmed Stricklin\u2019s decision to shift his focus away from Lane Kiffin<\/a>, who was then in talks with LSU, and place it squarely on Sumrall.<\/p>\n

Meyer remained active in the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe went from our first couple conversations checking my oil to see whether I was built for this job to, at the end of it, recruiting me,\u201d Sumrall said.<\/p>\n

When he decided on Florida, Sumrall had one more favor to ask Meyer.<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, \u2018Hey Coach, will you come to the press conference?’\u201d Sumrall recalled. \u201cHe said, \u2018Damn right, I\u2019ll be at the press conference. I\u2019m there.’\u201d<\/p>\n

Since Sumrall\u2019s Dec. 1 introduction<\/a>, Meyer has been available whenever asked.<\/p>\n

He attended the team\u2019s coaching clinic and some practices. He spent an hour speaking to Sumrall\u2019s staff.<\/p>\n

This summer, Sumrall and his wife visited the Meyers in Sarasota and went out on their boat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had some some cool interactions I\u2019ve really enjoyed,\u201d Sumrall said.<\/p>\n

A sounding board<\/p>\n

Meyer expects headwinds are coming, but will offer shelter from the storm for a coach who has already endeared himself to a fickle fan base.<\/p>\n

Both men had followed a similar path to Florida, having each had two successful two-year stints at two mid-major schools before getting their opportunity with the Gators.<\/p>\n

Expectations at Florida were next level. Exposure was omnipresent within the Gainesville community.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s probably five or six like Florida \u2014 there are not many \u2014 that have just extremely, extremely high standards,\u201d said Meyer, who also spent six seasons at Ohio State University. \u201cThe intense interest, scrutiny \u2014 I couldn\u2019t leave the house. I just felt swallowed up. That\u2019s the biggest thing, is just the intensity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s 10X what it was at Utah.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"FloridaFlorida coach Urban Meyer reacts during the second quarter of his Gators’ debut against Wyoming on Sept. 3, 2005, in Gainesville. (Phil Sandlin\/AP file)<\/p>\n

Sumrall\u2019s candor and wit were a winning formula as he sold his program\u2019s direction. His personality connects with nearly anyone he meets.<\/p>\n

Now that Week 1 is here, criticism and questions are sure to follow as soon as Florida loses a game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was pretty good, too, until you get hit in the face,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t ready for the hit in the face.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mayer arrived in 2005 coming off a historic 12-0 season at Utah and carried a personal 20-game winning streak into Tuscaloosa to face Alabama. On the Crimson Tide\u2019s first snap, Brodie Croyle connected with Tyrone Prothro for an 87-yard touchdown, igniting a 31-3 rout that wasn\u2019t as close as the score.<\/p>\n

Two weeks later at LSU, Florida failed to capitalize on a plus-five turnover margin as the offense managed just 206 yards in a 21-17 loss.<\/p>\n

As Meyer passionately defended his players\u2019 effort to reporters, tears began streaming down his face.<\/p>\n

Yet the nadir of Meyer\u2019s first season didn\u2019t come until a 30-22 loss that November at South Carolina, led by Steve Spurrier<\/a> \u2014 the man many fans hoped would return to Gainesville for a second act.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the Rubicon moment,\u201d Meyer said.<\/p>\n

Once the team plane landed, Meyer kept it idling on the tarmac and eviscerated his team after watching players goof around during the short flight home from Columbia.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was the moment the program could have said go or not go,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cWe beat Florida State two weeks later.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sumrall sure to stumble<\/p>\n

A year later, Florida won a national championship.<\/p>\n

Few coaches have experienced such a run of success as Meyer, whose 187-32-2 is virtually unprecedented.<\/p>\n

Sumrall might one day join him and Spurrier as a Gator coaching great.<\/p>\n

This season, some tough Saturdays surely lie ahead on a schedule featuring four preseason top-10 teams and ranked as the nation\u2019s seventh-most difficult<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to be there for him from for all that,\u201d Meyer said.<\/p>\n

Sumrall\u2019s hard-charging, hyper-competitive approach will test him, as it did Meyer.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re both so wired in we take losing really hard \u2014 I\u2019m a terrible loser,\u201d Sumrall said. \u201cWhen things aren\u2019t going good, I\u2019m harder on myself than anybody will ever be on me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meyer recalled how a loss at Florida, \u201ceats you alive.\u201d The intensity eventually led him to step down to address his health.<\/p>\n

\"FloridaFlorida head coach Jon Sumrall yells during a preseason practice Aug. 5 in Gainesville. (Stephen M. Dowell\/Orlando Sentinel)
\nA shared philosophy<\/p>\n

Now 62, Meyer is a grandfather with a son coaching on former assistant Dan Mullen\u2019s UNLV staff and is an analyst on Fox. Twenty years since winning the first of three national titles, including in 2014 at Ohio State, Meyer has developed a sense of perspective.<\/p>\n

He also remains a football coach at heart, and he has found a kindred spirt at the school where his storied career took flight.<\/p>\n

A sign hangs in Sumrall\u2019s office, reading, \u201cCoach the team.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s not one of those coaches who starts saying we don\u2019t have this, we don\u2019t have that,\u201d Meyer said. \u201cWhenever I took a job, I\u2019d tell our staff, \u2018I\u2019ll let you go if I hear you ever complain about your players or the previous staff. Quit making any excuses.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cCoach your team.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sumrall inherited a program coming off four losing seasons in the past five years, with NIL coffers not quite as robust as some other SEC programs and a roster with needs yet to be met.<\/p>\n

Meyer took over a struggling Florida program, but one that had not endured a losing season since the 1970s. The roster was two years removed from a No. 1 recruiting class and featured 18 of 22 starters on the \u201906 title team.<\/p>\n

Still, there will be shared experiences for Meyer to draw upon, making him a valuable resource when needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel so blessed to be able to have that phone-a-friend, if you will, and just go, \u2018Hey Coach, let me run something by you,’\u201d Sumrall said. \u201cThis job\u2019s different. Everybody thinks they know what it\u2019s like until you\u2019re in the chair and you\u2019re like having to deal with it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Meyer was happy to share his experience with Stricklin when the athletic director set out to make a hire that would define his own legacy<\/a>. A native of Ohio, Meyer felt an obligation regardless of the direction the Gators went in their search.<\/p>\n

Sumrall ended up making Meyer\u2019s job simple, a refreshing change for him at Florida.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like I owed Florida,\u201d he said. \u201cBut when you meet Jon, you see how sincere he is. He wants to do well and all his energy is focused on the right things \u2014 that\u2019s what I love about him.<\/p>\n

\u201cI would have done it anyway, but it\u2019s so much easier now that it\u2019s Jon Sumrall.\u201d<\/p>\n

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com<\/a><\/p>\n

Up next \u2026<\/p>\n

What: FAU (0-0) at UF (0-0)<\/p>\n

When: 7:45 p.m., Saturday<\/p>\n

Where: Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville<\/p>\n

TV: SEC Network<\/p>\n

Favorite: UF by 26.5 points<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"GAINESVILLE \u2014 Gators head coach Jon Sumrall was in awe when he first saw Urban Meyer walking across…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":384486,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[111,28,2530,2496,114,139,141,140,76046,110],"class_list":["post-384485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-orlando","tag-college-sports","tag-florida","tag-florida-gators","tag-gainesville","tag-latest-headlines","tag-orlando","tag-orlando-headlines","tag-orlando-news","tag-social-sports","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=384485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/384485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/384486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=384485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=384485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=384485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}