Perhaps the only person of note missing from Monday’s Gator lovefest in Gainesville was Tim Tebow.
As the University of Florida introduced new football coach Jon Sumrall, Steve Spurrier, Danny Wuerffel and Urban Meyer were in attendance at a press conference that ended up being the first victory of Sumrall’s tenure. As Sumrall, who comes from a defensive background, talked about Florida’s future, he paid homage to Florida’s rich offensive history. And he had all the right props standing beside him.
Spurrier is football royalty in the state of Florida. He won a Heisman Trophy while playing quarterback for the Gators and later returned as coach and turned the Fun and Gun offense loose as his teams dominated the SEC and won the 1996 national championship. Wuerffel doesn’t quite have Spurrier’s status, but he did a reasonable job of being the next best thing as a prolific passer for the Spurrier-coached Gators. Meyer’s pedigree wasn’t necessarily exclusive to the offensive side of the ball, but his two national championships as Florida’s coach represented an era of all-around excellence for the Gators.
Tebow? Well, he would have been nice window dressing, but it wasn’t necessary to have him there. Realistically, Tebow was far more of an offensive hybrid than he was a traditional thoroughbred while playing quarterback for the Gators.
Florida fans always have loved their offense, and the hiring of Sumrall — combined with him saying all the right things — brought instant excitement to Gainesville. Even current Florida quarterback DJ Lagway, running back Jadan Baugh and wide receivers Dallas Wilson and Vernell Brown III showed up at the press conference.
Their presence doesn’t necessarily mean they’re staying in Gainesville, but it’s a strong indication they’re fired up about Sumrall after being lulled to sleep in the non-offensive offense of former coach Billy Napier, whose teams often languished near the bottom of SEC scoring. And there’s every reason why they should be excited because Sumrall was the best possible hire for the Gators.
A Blueprint for Immediate Turnarounds — No Rebuild Required
Sumrall doesn’t inherit a blank slate; he inherits chaos. But look at what he’s done elsewhere: In four seasons as a head coach, he’s posted a jaw-dropping 42–11 record (.792 win percentage), the fifth-highest among active FBS coaches — trailing only juggernauts like Kirby Smart and Ryan Day.
He didn’t just win; he dominated Group of 5 conferences, dragging Troy to back-to-back Sun Belt titles (23–4 from 2022–23) and Tulane to 19–7 over two years, including a 10–2 mark in 2025 that has the Green Wave ranked No. 21 and eyeing a College Football Playoff at-large bid.
Season-by-Season Snapshot
| Season | School | Record | Conference Finish | Key Achievement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Troy | 12–2 | Sun Belt Champs | Cure Bowl Win; No. 19 AP Final Rank |
| 2023 | Troy | 11–2 | Sun Belt Champs | Gasparilla Bowl Loss |
| 2024 | Tulane | 9–5 | AAC Co-Champs | Independence Bowl Eligible |
| 2025 | Tulane | 10–2 | AAC Leaders | No. 21 Rank; AAC Title Game vs. North Texas |
| Career | — | 42–11 | 4 Title Games | .792 Win % |
This isn’t luck — it’s delegation and culture. A defensive guru by trade, Sumrall has elevated offenses at every stop (Tulane ranks 39th nationally in total offense this year), and he’s already teasing a “dynamic” scheme for Florida’s talent-stocked roster, including QB DJ Lagway and WRs like Dallas Wilson.
Napier’s final teams struggled to score consistently, and Sumrall’s teams? Consistently top-30 in yards per completion.
Momentum is already visible. Sumrall quickly tabbed Brad White — the former Tennessee linebackers coach and a trusted defensive lieutenant — as his defensive coordinator, signaling the same swift, decisive staff-building that fueled his turnarounds at Troy and Tulane.
Why This Hire Works — On Paper and in Reality
Sure, Lane Kiffin’s name was thrown around a lot before he ended up at LSU. But Sumrall comes with less drama and a clean, uninterrupted rise through the coaching ranks. Just look what Sumrall did at Tulane. Sumrall, who will coach at Tulane for as long as its current season lasts, has won 42 of the 53 games he’s coached and led the Green Wave to their first College Football Playoff appearance. And he did it with a strong offense, even though that’s not his specialty. He obviously knows how to delegate on that side of the ball.
Skeptics might flag his 0–4 mark against Power 5 teams — a small-sample hurdle he’ll clear with UF’s firepower — but that’s exactly why his hunt for a top OC is crucial. Pairing his defensive smarts with an offensive maestro will flip those close calls into statement wins.
At Florida, Sumrall — who will make an average of $7.5 million plus incentives tied to the College Football Playoffs — and whatever staff he puts together should have far more offensive talent to work with than Tulane ever had. Just like Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin needs to be right about hiring Sumrall, the new coach needs to get it right when he hires his offensive coordinator.
Already, the hot names for that job are Pitt offensive coordinator Kade Bell (whose spread concepts lit up ACC defenses) and Tennessee offensive coordinator Joey Halzle (fresh off engineering the Vols’ explosive, top-10 scoring attack). Former New York Giants coach Brian Daboll’s name also is being tossed around, and he has a track record of doing wonders with quarterback Josh Allen when he was the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills.
On the surface, any of those three would be a good fit for Sumrall as he tries to bring offense — and winning big — back to Florida.
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