Did Florida Coach Jon Sumrall Take a Shot at Lane Kiffin?

Lane Kiffin and Florida head coach Jon Sumrall had much different exits from their previous teams.

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall talks on the sideline during spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The LSU Tigers have been at the center of attention this offseason following the hire of head coach Lane Kiffin, who came over from Ole Miss after a messy exit.

Kiffin's departure, along the NCAA and college football calendar has been the subject of scrunity by fans along with coaches and executives. Instead of coaching Ole Miss into the College Football Playoff, Kiffin accepted the LSU job and was blocked off by the University of Mississippi from coaching the Rebels while under contract with another program.

But Florida head coach Jon Sumrall, who was hired from Tulane earlier this offseason, is making it clear that he would have done things much differently.

Jon Sumrall Clarifies His Remarks Not a Shot at Anyone, Even Lane Kiffin

Florida head coach Jon Sumrall speaks after spring practice at Sanders Practice Fields in Gainesville, FL on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun] | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Sumrall was asked during SEC Meetings if he would have done things differently and not coached Tulane during the College Football Playoff instead of getting the ball rolling at Florida.

Though he never mentioned Kiffin directly, Sumrall's answer was openly critical toward exactly what Kiffin did during his exit from Ole Miss.

"I was not going to leave a team playing for a championship to go coach another team," Sumrall said. "That's not in my DNA. I ain't built like that. Couldn't do it. I just couldn't."

What would Jon Sumrall have done if Florida asked him not to coach in Playoff?

"I would have stayed at Tulane and not taken any other job.

"I was not going to leave a team playing for a championship to go coach another team.

"That's not in my DNA, I ain't built that way." pic.twitter.com/F4zcvf6BlL

— SEC Mike (@MichaelWBratton) May 26, 2026

It's clear Sumrall quickly recognized how his comments might be perceived as a potential shot toward Kiffin. He made sure to clarify that he wasn't directing words at anyone, but it once again shows how differently other coaches around the country would have handled the situation.

"That's not a shot anybody. It's honestly not," Sumrall said. "I just, so, if Florida, or any other school that wanted to offer me their head coaching job, was going to tell me the terms they needed to be on, the answer for me was, I can't take the job. Sorry, I just can't do it, because those kids had given me just too much, and it just wouldn't have been fair."

With Kiffin and Sumrall now with their new teams, LSU and Florida will be hoping to get back to their elite standards on the field. Both programs needed a change of scenery and got it last season with a pair of midseason firings at head coach.

Kiffin's exit is now in the past, and the Tigers are looking forward to the 2026 season. But with Sumrall and Kiffin starting new jobs at the same time, it will be interesting to see how they both stack up against one another over the next handful of years.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.