Jon Sumrall
By Chris Wright
Last Updated:
Florida hired Jon Sumrall as its next head football coach. Sumrall, who is finishing his second season at Tulane, replaces Billy Napier, who was fired midway through the 2025 season. Sumrall is the 31st head coach in Florida football history.
Jon Sumrall Coaching Record
Entering Championship Weekend, Jon Sumrall has an overall record of 42-11 in 4 years as a head coach. Sumrall will coach Tulane throughout the postseason before coming to Florida.
Jon Sumrall Coaching History
Jon Sumrall, a former standout linebacker at Kentucky, started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UK in 2005. Here is a look at his coaching resume.
- Nov. 30 2025: Head coach — Florida
- 2024-2025: Head coach — Tulane
- 2022-2023: Head coach — Troy
- 2021: Defensive coordinator — Kentucky
- 2019-20: Defensive assistant coach — Kentucky
- 2018: Linebackers coach — Ole Miss
- 2015-2017: Assistant head coach — Troy
- 2012-2014: Defensive coordinator — Tulane
- 2010-2011: Assistant head coach/defensive coordinator — San Diego
- 2007-2009: Defensive assistant coach — San Diego
- 2005-2006: Graduate assistant — Kentucky
Jon Sumrall Bio
Sumrall grew up in Huntsville, Alabama, where he was a 2-time All-Alabama player at Grissom High School. He earned a scholarship at Kentucky, where he played middle linebacker for 3 seasons before joining Rich Brooks’ staff as a graduate assistant in 2005.
Sumrall spent the 13 years as a defensive assistant or defensive coordinator at three Group of 5 programs.
In 2018, Ole Miss coach Matt Luke hired Sumrall as his defensive coordinator. That was Sumrall’s first taste of SEC football since he left Kentucky. He returned to Kentucky the following season, first as an assistant on Mark Stoops‘ staff but eventually becoming a co-defensive coordinator.
In 2022, at the age of 39, Sumrall became a head coach for the first time. In 2 seasons, he led Troy to a 23-4 record and back-to-back Sun Belt Conference titles.
In 2024, he was named head coach at Tulane. Sumrall guided the Wave to an American Conference championship in 2024 and has them in the conference title game again in 2025. He will coach Tulane throughout its postseason before assuming his duties as Florida’s head coach.
Sumrall is married and has four children.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
