Jon Sumrall would’ve turned down Florida if he couldn’t coach Tulane in CFP: ‘That’s not a shot’

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall made it clear during this week's SEC spring meetings in Sandestin that he would have turned down the Gators' job had it required him to abandon his Tulane squad before the College Football Playoff.

"I was not going to leave my team to coach another team," Sumrall stated. "That’s not a shot at anybody."

The 'S--t Show' of Dual Employment

While Sumrall stood by his decision to finish the season with the Green Wave, he didn't shy away from admitting that the balancing act was incredibly difficult. In fact, he described the three-week stretch of managing two programs simultaneously as the "dumbest thing I’ve ever done."

"Full disclosure: it was a s--t show," Sumrall admitted. "I had two phones and didn’t know if it was for Florida or Tulane."

Questions on Playoff Access

Beyond his own experience, the 43-year-old coach offered a candid take on the expanded 12-team playoff format. While acknowledging that access is valuable for programs at the Group of 5 level, Sumrall expressed skepticism regarding the current structure.

"I do think I’ve been on both sides of this now," he said. "Are there two deserving G5/G6 teams in a 12-team playoff? I would question that."

A Look Back at the Transition

Sumrall’s move to Florida, finalized in November 2025, brought him to Gainesville on a six-year deal worth approximately $7.5 million annually. He arrived with a stellar track record, boasting a 42-11 record over four seasons—two at Troy and two at Tulane—with appearances in a conference title game every year.

His time with the Green Wave concluded with a loss to Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff, a stark contrast to the situation involving Lane Kiffin and his departure from Ole Miss to LSU. When Kiffin took the LSU job in November 2025, he publicly stated he wanted to finish the season with the Rebels, only to be denied by athletic director Keith Carter.

At the time, Kiffin expressed his disappointment, noting his desire to complete a historic run with the team. Carter later countered those claims, asserting that it was communicated early on that Kiffin would not be allowed to coach in the postseason if he accepted the LSU position. According to Carter, the expectations were clear from the start, with no ambiguity surrounding the end of the partnership.