According to the latest report from Zach Abolverdi, Florida football has reset its coaching sights elsewhere with the expectation that Lane Kiffin will either stay at Ole Miss or go to LSU instead. Now, On3 is reporting that the Gators are honing in on Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall.
Pete Thamel is in agreement with the report, but added some additional context to the timing. He said that the decision is expected to come on Sunday for Sumrall. He’ll choose between staying at Tulane or going elsewhere, namely, Florida and Auburn.
Chris Low, On3 reporter and co-host of the RTI Low-Down, added that Sumrall has been a name on UF’s radar even in the hunt for Kiffin. He said that ‘a deal could come together quickly’, as well.
Even during the Lane Kiffin courtship, Sumrall has remained on Florida’s radar, and as everything starts to clear, a deal could come together quickly with the Gators. https://t.co/eeucoh2C3w
— Chris Low (@clowfb) November 28, 2025
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Sumrall is in his second season atop the Tulane program. In 2024, he steered the Green Wave to a 9-5 (7-1 American) mark, including a loss in the conference championship and Gasparilla Bowl.
This year, he has Tulane at 9-2 with the potential to earn a spot as the Group of Five representative in the College Football Playoffs. The Green Wave wraps up the regular season by hosting Charlotte on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. ET. The game will air on ESPNU.
Tulane is in the mix to make the conference championship for a second-straight season at 6-1 in the American slate. Other options are Navy at 7-1 and North Texas at 6-1. The Mean Green just lost their coach, Eric Morris, to Oklahoma State, though.
Sumrall previously coached two seasons at Troy, where he won back-to-back Sun Belt championships. He played linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04 and was the co-defensive coordinator for the Wildcats before landing the job at Troy.
