By Matthew SchmidtShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Florida Gators were once one of the top football programs in the country, but they have certainly fallen on hard times in recent years. They are now hoping that Jon Sumrall will be the answer to their ills.
But some people can't help but notice the parallels between Sumrall and Billy Napier based on the similarities of their career arcs. However, Sumrall is remaining firm that he is his own man.
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“Judge me for who I am,” Sumrall said, via Matt Baker of The Athletic. “I’m a winner, and we’re going to win. Just give me a shot.”
That's what Florida initially thought it was getting in Napier, too, who had served as an assistant for Nick Saban and also experienced considerable success with the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns.
Instead, Napier went just 22-23 during his three-and-a-half year stint in Gainesville, leading Florida to a 1-1 mark in bowl games before getting fired midway through 2025 following a 3-4 start.
...Sumrall began his head-coaching career at Troy in 2022 and spent two seasons with the Trojans, going 23-4 and even finishing 19th overall in the AP poll during his debut campaign after winning the Cure Bowl.
The 43-year-old then headed to Tulane, serving as Green Wave head coach for two years. He guided Tulane to a 10-2 regular-season record in 2025 and has the Green Wave currently ranked 21st in the top-25 poll.
Sumrall has gone 19-7 overall at Tulane, but just like in the case of Napier, winning in a smaller conference is certainly not the same as winning in the SEC.
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Florida has not posted a double-digit win campaign since 2019 and has only achieved that feat twice since 2013. The Gators have fallen quite far since their Tim Tebow days, when they captured a pair of championships during the 2006-07 and 2008-09 seasons. They also registered three 13-win campaigns between 2006 and 2009.
Perhaps Sumrall will turn things around in Gainesville, but until he actually proves himself, Florida fans will understandably remain skeptical.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
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