Sumrall Set to Make First Coordinator Hire with Florida Gators, per Report

Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall is reportedly targeting a veteran SEC defensive coordinator to run his defense.

The Florida Gators have targeted an SEC defensive coordinator for the same spot on Jon Sumrall's first staff. | Sam Upshaw Jr./Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

GAINESVILLE, Fla.-- Jon Sumrall appears to be ready to make his first coordinator hire with the Florida Gators.

Florida is expected to hire Kentucky defensive coordinator Brad White in the same position, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz. White has spent the last seven seasons as the Wildcats' defensive coordinator after a year as an assitant.

Florida is expected to hire Kentucky’s Brad White as its defensive coordinator, sources tell @CBSSports.

Led the way for four Kentucky defenses that ranked in the top-25 nationally during his seven seasons as the team’s DC. pic.twitter.com/JP98m8cTly

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 2, 2025

He coached outside linebackers all eight seasons at Kentucky and was Sumrall's defensive coordinator in 2019 and 2020 as the now-Gators head coach took charge of the inside linebackers room.

Sumrall was Kentucky's co-defensive coordinator with White in 2021 before taking the head coaching job at Troy in 2022.

At Kentucky, White led the Wildcats to seven consecutive top-45 defenses (2018-24) and four top-25 finishes (2018-19, 2021-22). Florida, meanwhile, has not had a top-50 defense in the 2020s with defensive coordinators Todd Grantham (2020-21), Patrick Toney (2022), Austin Armstrong (2023) and Ron Roberts (2024-25).

While Sumrall admitted he "haven't studied what was done (at Florida) intimately" on the defensive side of the ball, he did give an idea of what he wanted the Gators' identity to be with him as head coach.

"Defensively we will swarm, and we will attack," Sumrall said. "We will play with great pursuit of the football and relentless effort. We'll always be on the hunt because that's what Gators do. We're going to make our opponents uncomfortable. I want to be the most feared defense in the country."

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall was introduced as the Gators' new head coach on Monday. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Prior to his stint at Kentucky, White coached in various capacities with the Indianapolis Colts, including as a defensive quality control coach (2012-13), assistant linebackers coach (2014) and outside linebackers coach (2015-17).

He was also the inside linebackers coach at Air Force (2010-11), safeties coach at Murray State (2009) and graduate assistant at Wake Forest (2007-08), where he recorded 227 tackles across four seasons with the Demon Deacons (2001-04).

White is poised to be Florida's second overall staff hire after Sumrall was announced as head coach, following Dave Caldwell's hiring as General Manager.

Sumrall on Monday said he would evaluate what is currently at Florida before making immediate staff decisions, emphasizing he won't hire a "staff of who are my buddies," but a staff that can develop players and win championships.

"There will be some folks that stay. Then I may bring a few that have been around me," he explained. "There's going to be some people that haven't been here and haven't been with me that need to be added to help us get the best group of people together to win championships and serve our players."