When Florida dismissed Billy Napier in mid-October, many within the Gators fan base entered into a Lane Kiffin-or-bust mode.
That scenario is not happening, however, after conference rival LSU appears to have cut in line for the services of the Mississippi coach. It doesn’t mean that Florida didn’t wind up with a better head coach—and a much better fit—in the long run.
In fact, despite the protestations of a vocal majority of their fans, the Gators may have lucked out in hiring Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall on Sunday. He is not only somebody who knows the SEC extremely well but one of the rising names in the coaching profession at 43 years old. He has proven he can build a consistent winner quickly in taking each of his past four teams to the conference title game. It would not be surprising if he wins, and wins big, despite the step up to the big leagues.
Some in blue and orange may not like the parallels in replacing a Group of 5 coach from the state of Louisiana with another, but Napier and Sumrall are very different coaches and the latter is taking over a much better position at the school. Florida has a national championship ceiling and now it has a guy who can help them reach it.
What it means for Florida
The Gators needed an adult in charge of their program who understands how to get every facet of the organization pulling in the same direction. Sumrall has proven to be that guy in past stops at Troy and Tulane. He’s a true builder and looks at things holistically rather than focusing just on one side of the ball despite having a sharp defensive mind.
That is by no means an assurance of long-term success, but if anybody could unlock what Florida is capable of, it may well be Sumrall. He relates well to everyone and is not afraid to change if things are not working out, a sharp contrast to his predecessor—which will be appreciated by those in charge.
Sumrall also has a keen eye for talent and should really be able to keep the school’s recruiting success going while smartly supplementing with the transfer portal to build a competitive roster. He’s pretty good at identifying assistant coaches and has dealt with plenty of turnover in that department.
In short, it’s hard to fault Florida for swiftly going after Sumrall as soon as the Kiffin pipe dream became unrealistic in the last few weeks. The Gators get a proven head coach who has shown plenty of adaptability and won’t be overly stubborn in his ways. Though nobody will confuse him for having the same needling personality as the Old Ball Coach Steve Spurrier, he isn’t afraid to say things and shouldn’t take long to convert skeptics in the fan base about his hire on and off the field.
What it means for Jon Sumrall
Sumrall was bound to be an SEC head coach pretty much from the minute he first donned the headset and the only real question was where. He was heavily connected to the openings at Auburn, potentially Ole Miss and others that came open this cycle, but lands at a place where he can win big for seasons to come.
It also goes without saying that the situation in Gainesville, Fla., was probably appealing personally as things don’t tend to get quite as toxic if they don’t go well compared to other places in the league. He will be able to work with a veteran athletic director who understands what coaches want and will enjoy a fairly hands-off administration at the school.
Sumrall came close to taking the North Carolina job last year, but the decision to pass looks incredibly smart in hindsight. He now lands at a place where the path is there for multiple College Football Playoff appearances and the potential to win national titles.
Final Grade: A
No, Florida didn’t land Kiffin and will have to deal with angry fans worried the Gators just made a carbon copy of the hire that just recently didn’t work out. But Sumrall is a potential home run with the way he runs things and could be key to unlocking a program capable of competing at the very high end of college football.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Grading Jon Sumrall to Florida: Potential Home Run Hire Fans Didn’t Expect.
