Jon Sumrall Reportedly Withdraws from Auburn Coaching Candidate Pool, Where do the Tigers Go Now?

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall appears to be Florida's top choice after originally being tied to the Auburn job.

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall appears to be Florida's top choice after originally being tied to the Auburn job. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Things are getting interesting for the Auburn Tigers' coaching search ahead of the Iron Bowl.

Jon Sumrall, the popular pick for Auburn’s next head coach and the leader by odds, has reportedly withdrawn from candidacy for the position, according to FootballScoop's John Brice, due to his interest in the Florida job as well as a possible opening at Ole Miss depending on Lane Kiffin's decision.

“Multiple sources tell @FootballScoop that Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall has withdrawn from Auburn’s coaching search as Florida continues pursuit,” Brice tweeted on Saturday morning. 

Sumrall, the head coach of the Tulane Green Wave, has made allusions in the past of his desire to stay with the Green Wave as he leads them to potential playoff candidacy, but the timing of this reported withdrawal raises suspicion as to exactly what Auburn is doing with their search.

After all, Auburn athletic director John Cohen stated that the university is looking to name its next head coach soon after the Iron Bowl, which is set for just hours after the news broke. Does Sumrall’s withdrawal from only Auburn mean that the Tigers have decided on a head coach? 

Let’s take a look at the two top available head coaches that still have their hats in the ring.

D.J. Durkin - Auburn Interim Head Coach 

Auburn Tigers interim head coach DJ Durkin greets his team after a touchdown in the fourth quarter against the Mercer Bears. | John Reed-Imagn Images

Formerly Auburn’s defensive coordinator, Durkin’s odds have skyrocketed after his first two games at the helm. He reignited Auburn’s offense against Vanderbilt, leading the team to a narrow, shootout loss, something the team had yet to see in 2025. Then, he made the decision to preserve Ashton Daniels’ eligibility by sitting him against Mercer, and true freshman quarterback Deuce Knight smashed Auburn records under his watch.

The issue? Auburn’s defense has seemed to decline now that Durkin’s forced to play all sides of the game. Before Vanderbilt, Auburn had yet to allow more than 24 points in a game, but the Commodores put up 45 on the Tigers.

If Durkin’s to take over the helm, does that mean a new defensive coordinator will step up? Only time will tell.

Bob Chesney - Head Coach, James Madison University

James Madison Dukes head coach Bob Chesney talks with tight end Lacota Dippre (15) during the first quarter against the Louisville Cardinals. | Jamie Rhodes-Imagn Images

The issue with Chesney is that he’s already more commonly linked to jobs like Penn State, with little to no talk of his candidacy with Auburn. He’d be a great pick for the Tigers, but it simply seems like he’s not particularly interested in the Plains with all the other high-profile jobs available.

Nevertheless, he’s tied with Durkin in terms of odds for the position, so perhaps Auburn swung a big offer on Chesney with the intent of letting Durkin go back to coaching defense.

As mentioned, Auburn’s looking to have a coach named as soon as possible, as the Iron Bowl was the ideal deadline John Cohen stated all the way back when Hugh Freeze was fired. Does Auburn already have a coach signed, sealed and delivered? 

It would be interesting if the team had decided on Durkin pre-Iron Bowl, but anything’s possible.