Florida head football coach Jon Sumrall speaks during a press conference after spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Jon Sumrall jokes about Florida wanting Lane Kiffin ahead of him

By Daniel Morrison | Last updated Mar 24, 2026 1:16 PM ET

Nobody wants to be the second choice. That goes for everything in life but is particularly important for college coaches who need support from fans and need to recruit.

There's no mistaking that Jon Sumrall was the second choice to be the head coach of the Florida Gators, though. It was too long and loud a battle for Lane Kiffin for anyone to think otherwise. Certainly, Sumrall knows that, and he recently joked about that during a news conference as spring football is finally here.

“It’s kind of like my start here, nobody wanted me hired here either, everybody wanted some other guy,” Sumrall said. “But, you know, it’s working out OK so far. We’ll see.”

Kiffin flirted with Florida while he was the head coach at Ole Miss. He ended up flirting more with and eventually jumping to LSU instead. That came amid significant controversy due to his decision to leave ahead of the College Football Playoff.

Jon Sumrall was unsure if Florida would hire him

As the Tulane head coach, Sumrall had taken the Green Wave to the College Football Playoff himself. As a result, he had no shortage of interest from Power Four jobs, including in the SEC.

Despite that, Sumrall wasn't sure if Florida was going to hire him. That wasn't because of the Kiffin situation, though. As he explained earlier in March, that came down to the similarities he shared with his predecessor, Billy Napier.

"As you work through what could be next and you field phone calls … full transparency, I thought, 'Is Florida going to hire another G5 coach from Louisiana? Probably not.'" Sumrall said. "I’ve got a lot of respect for Billy, but Billy and I are not the same guy. I thought just because we had somewhat of a similar track record, to some degree, that they may shy away from me."

Where does Florida stand now?

It's early in Sumrall's tenure. So, figuring out how he's doing to this point might be premature. Despite that, Sumrall did come across as confident.

In high school recruiting, Florida finished 13th nationally, according to On3, in the Class of 2026. That includes 13 four-star recruits. However, the Gators were raided in the transfer portal, losing 30 players. In turn, they added 27 players. So, that flip is going to be where immediate success or failure likely comes from.

Big names leaving include quarterback DJ Lagway and wide receiver Eugene Wilson III. Still, Sumrall and the Gators did add wide receiver Eric Singleton and defensive back Cam Dooley, among several other big names.

Now, with spring underway, Sumrall and the new coaching staff can really get to work. That means developing the roster and installing new schemes. It's the start of making those major changes going into the 2026 season.

Daniel Morrison

Dan Morrison is a writer originally from Massachusetts, now residing in Florida. He spent four years at On3, working on the National News Desk there. Prior to that, he’s also contributed at Underdog Dynasty.

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