Urban Meyer Ranks Florida's Hiring of Jon Sumrall

Former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer helped the program in its hiring of Jon Sumrall as the next head coach.

Former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer helped the program in its hiring of Jon Sumrall as the next head coach. | Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images

It's no secret that former Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer endorsed the program's hiring of Jon Sumrall as the next head coach, showing his support with an appearance at his introductory press conference on Dec. 1 and being a more active presence at the university.

Recently, the former UF head coach ranked his top three best new hires in college football, putting Sumrall at the No. 2 spot. Michigan's hiring of Kyle Whittingham, a former Meyer assistant at Utah, was ranked No. 1, while Cal's hiring of Tosh Lupoi trailed Sumrall at No. 3.

"I think he's going to make an immediate impact, a drastic change in the way Florida plays," Meyer said on his podcast, The Triple Option.

#WendysPartner

Kyle Whittingham, Jon Sumrall and Tosh Lupoi are my best new hires in college football. @Wendys pic.twitter.com/TBPJh78TI9

— Urban Meyer (@CoachUrbanMeyer) January 13, 2026

Meyer's high ranking of Sumrall is no surprise considering his involvement in Sumrall's hiring with Florida. During the interview process, Meyer and Sumrall spoke with each other about the job, Sumrall's fit with the program

"It's a challenge I embrace. It's an exhilarating challenge," he said during his introductory press conference on Dec. 1. "... I don't know that I can measure myself to Coach Spurrier or Coach Meyer anytime soon. I've got a long way to go. I look forward to leaning on them, asking their opinion and advice. I feel very privileged to have two great resources like them that are a phone call away."

While he has yet to coach a game, Sumrall has already been compared to Meyer, who won two national titles in his six seasons with the program, between his energy, attention to recruiting and an offseason workout program headlined by the team not wearing any UF logos.

In a recent interview with WAKA Action 8 News' Julianna Reichenbach, Sumrall said even Meyer has compared to two already.

"We talked a lot about the weight room, the offseason program. He said. 'I kind of feel like I'm talking to myself 20 years ago,'" Sumrall detailed. "I was like, 'Can you say that again?' That was one of the coolest sideways compliments I've ever gotten."

Sumrall has a long way to go to remotely come close to what Meyer accomplished in his six years leading the program. From 2005-10, Meyer established himself as one of the best coaches in program history. His 81.3 winning percentage remains the second highest in program history, while his 65 wins are the third-most.

Most impressively, though, may have been the consistency, recording three 13-win seasons and never having a season with less than eight wins. He also had consistent postseason success with two wins in three appearances in the SEC Championship Game and five bowl wins in six seasons.

That immediate success is something Sumrall is vying for with a program that has four losing seasons in five years.

"I respect the Florida fan base is not patient. They want to win right now, too," he said. "You've got the right coach. I'm wired that way. I'm not comfortable having a plan to win in eight years. I want to win tomorrow."