Why Florida is hiring Jon Sumrall as new head coach, not Lane Kiffin

Why Florida is hiring Jon Sumrall as new head coach, not Lane Kiffin originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Florida Gators were believed for a while to be in the running for Lane Kiffin to be their next head football coach.

In the end, that job will go to Jon Sumrall from Tulane, according to multiple reports on Sunday morning.

Sumrall's deal will be six years and nearly $7.5 million per year, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel.

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Sumrall has been a head coach for four years.

That began with two seasons at Troy, in which the Trojans went 23-4 and won the Sun Belt two years in a row.

Then it's been two years at Tulane. The Green Wave went 9-5 in 2024 and are now 10-2 this season with a legitimate path to the College Football Playoff.

Sumrall played college football as a linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04.

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Why did Florida hire Jon Sumrall, not Lane Kiffin?

This ends up being a matter, at least in part, of what Kiffin wanted.

The Ole Miss head coach Kiffin was the most sought-after name in this coaching cycle. LSU and Florida both were in play.

But earlier in the weekend, news emerged that Florida was moving in a different direction.

That could've come from either side. The Gators could've decided they didn't want Kiffin, or he could've decided he didn't want the Gators.

Either way, it won't be Kiffin. It'll be Sumrall.

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