The national coaching carousel has hit overdrive Sunday morning on the immediate heels of the regular season, and Tulane appears poised to be in the mix.
Jon Sumrall is expected to be hired as Florida’s next head coach, according to multiple national reports.
The Green Wave’s second-year coach had been heavily mentioned as a candidate for several vacancies during the past two weeks including Auburn, Florida, LSU, Oklahoma State and — if and when LSU were to hire Lane Kiffin — Ole Miss.
Tulane shut out Charlotte, 27-0, on Saturday to secure a home American Athletic Conference championship game and remain well-positioned for a potential College Football Playoff opportunity.
Sumrall told reporters postgame that he would have necessary discussions later Saturday and Sunday morning to weigh his future options, a process that appears to have him headed to Gainesville, Fla.
“I want tonight to be about this team,” he said. “I’ll talk to (Tulane athletic director) David Harris a little bit tonight, and my wife and I’ll talk in the morning. And, you know, any opportunities I ever have is really got a lot to do with so many other people other than myself.
“I love this place. I love Tulane. I don’t love the (NCAA) calendar we have right now. Like, this is kind of a goofy model. I think you heard coach (Nick) Saban talking about it a couple weeks ago on (ESPN’s) ‘GameDay’ … College football right now, our rules are so wonky with signing day’s next Wednesday, other opportunities that present, you have to make decisions on right now. I don’t like any of it, the timing, but it is what it is.”
Sumrall has led the Green Wave to a 19-7 record the past two season, including 2-4 against Power-Four competition, and now a second AAC title game.
Prior to his tenure at Tulane, he led Troy to a combined 23-4 record in his first two seasons as a head coach.
The former Kentucky linebacker spent time on staffs at Kentucky, San Diego, Tulane, Troy and Ole Miss before earning his first lead job for the 2022 season.