Florida has turned to one of the fastest-rising coaches in the country to fill its vacancy with the hiring of Tulane's Jon Sumrall.
"Sumrall is a proven winner and an exceptional leader who has built successful programs at every stop," Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin said in a statement to announce Sumrall on Sunday.
"He brings tremendous energy, strong recruiting relationships across our footprint, and a philosophy rooted in toughness, discipline and player development. He will cultivate a daily culture of competitiveness, accountability and winning that drives success on the field and throughout our program. Jon fully understands the expectations at the University of Florida, including our expectations to produce championship teams that feature a dynamic offense, and we're excited to welcome him and his family to Gator Nation."
Florida is giving Sumrall a six-year deal with an average annual salary of nearly $7.5 million per season, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel.
Sumrall has been a head coach for only four years but has posted a sizzling 42-11 mark with Troy and the Green Wave, qualifying for the conference title game in every season. The 43-year-old has experience in the SEC as both a player and assistant coach at Kentucky.
While Sumrall is eventually headed to Gainesville, he will remain with Tulane through next weekend's American Conference title game against North Texas.
Sumrall's addition marks the second straight time the Gators have hired a head coach from a Group of 5 school in Louisiana after Billy Napier joined the program in 2022. Napier's previous stop in Louisiana saw great success, but he couldn't translate that at the power conference level. While he was able to land a number of top recruits, the on-field performance consistently lacked and he was fired earlier this season.
Florida was initially in on the Kiffin sweepstakes while also vetting other candidates during the search. The focus on Sumrall grew after the school learned Kiffin was to decide between LSU and Ole Miss for his coaching future.
The Gators also found a new general manager Sunday, as they're finalizing a deal with former Jacksonville Jaguars GM David Caldwell, according to Pete Nakos of On3. Caldwell is currently a member of the Philadelphia Eagles front office.
