Florida Meeting with Tulane Head Coach Jon Sumrall Called Off, per Report

Lane Kiffin likely remains Florida's top target, but the Gators appeared to take preemptive steps should Kiffin say no.

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall is a candidate for multiple Power Four coaching jobs. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

This story has been updated to reflect a report from On3's Pete Nakos that Jon Sumrall's meeting with Florida has been called off.

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- While Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin still appears to be the Florida Gators' top candidate for its open head coach position, the university made plans to meet another candidate this week to discuss the job, according to multiple reports.

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall was expected to meet with UF regarding the vacancy on Thursday. The meeting was first reported by On3's Zach Abolverdi. That meeting, however, has been called off, according to On3's Pete Nakos.

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall is not interviewing with Florida on Thursday, sources tell @On3sports.

More: https://t.co/sN6bsK5h2A https://t.co/vF4Hoy5Zzc pic.twitter.com/HL2Xf6Hejs

— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) November 19, 2025

Sumrall, a popular Group of Six candidate in previous coaching cycles, is rumored to be a top candidate at Auburn, which fired Hugh Freeze earlier this month, and a possible candidate at Ole Miss should Kiffin, a top choice by both Florida and LSU, depart from the program.

Members of Kiffin's family reportedly visited Gainesville on Sunday and Baton Rouge on Monday. Kiffin declined to comment on his future on multiple occasions during Wednesday's SEC Coaches Teleconference.

"I'm gonna stay on what I've done for six years, which isn't talking about other jobs and that situation," Kiffin said when asked about providing clarity on his future to Ole Miss. "(AD) Keith (Carter) and I - I've seen him twice already today. Keith and I have a great relationship. We communicate daily on a lot of things, and I love it here, and it's been amazing."

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (left) is considered Florida's top candidate, but the Gators could target Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall should Kiffin go elsewhere. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Sumrall is in his second year at Tulane with the Green Wave sitting at 8-2, ranked No. 24 in the most recent College Football Playoff rankings and in contention for a spot in the CFP. Last year, Tulane went 9-5, finishing second in the American Conference standings and losing in the Gasparilla Bowl, ironically to Billy Napier and the Gators.

He previously spent two years as the head coach at Troy, going 23-4 and winning two Sun Belt Conference titles, ironically after Napier won the outright title and a share of the title in 2021 and 2020.

Sumrall also has two stints coaching in the SEC with one season at Ole Miss in 2018 as the linebackers coach and three seasons at Kentucky (2019-21) as the linebackers coach. He was also co-defensive coordinator in his last season with the Wildcats before taking the Troy job.

"My sense is we will have a wide variety of candidates," UF athletic director Scott Stricklin said on Oct. 20, a day after firing Napier. "We want people who can win championships at the University of Florida. That's going to be our goal. We want somebody who can come in here, be a strong leader and win championships. And, like I said, there's probably people from a lot of different backgrounds that could have the potential to do that."