Why Did Tulane Football Coach Jon Sumrall Turn Down Promising Job Offers?
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The Tulane Green Wave were successful in retaining head coach Jon Sumrall through the college football coaching carousel this past offseason.
The Green Wave's 9-5 finish with a third consecutive trip to the American Conference title game and a berth to the Gasparilla Bowl caught the nation's attention in Sumrall's first season leading the team.
The fourth-year head coach was coveted by Power Four programs with job openings this last cycle. There were efforts by multiple Big 12 schools and, notably, the North Carolina Tar Heels.
But Sumrall elected to sign a contract extension and remain with Tulane to take care of some unfinished business.
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Tulane's Jon Sumrall Has Chip on His Shoulder After Last Season
Pete Nakos with On3 Sports (subscription required) spoke with Sumrall about his decision to stay uptown after closing out the season with three losses.
“We’re sitting there at 9-2, and I think maybe I didn’t do a good enough job being proactive about taking it head-on with our guys, about, ‘Hey, block out all the noise,'" Sumrall said. Not just the noise about the team, but block out all the side chatter about anything that could be happening for you individually until after the games."
That latter sentence felt pointed, as multiple Green Wave stars entered the transfer portal before the season ended. Quarterback Darian Mensah transferred the day the portal opened to the Duke Blue Devils.
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“Lock into this team, the 2025 version of Tulane, until the last game, which better be the conference championship," Sumrall continued. "And then let’s look up and go, ‘OK, where are we? If we can all agree to that, man, I think we'll do some special stuff. If we get sidetracked with what could be next too early, we’re going to be screwed up.”
Success at the Group of Five level, or even Power Four, unfortunately leads to the poaching of players and head coaches.
Should Tulane find itself back to where Sumrall took them in his first season, or further to the College Football Playoff, that will happen again.
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“I’d be lying if I didn’t say it comes up with third or fourth recruit that we’re recruiting,” Sumrall said. “The question comes up, ‘Coach, how long do you see yourself here? What does the future look like for you here now?’ Well, look, here’s the good news. Tulane has made a long-term commitment to me being here, and that means a lot to me. When I chose to come here was because I thought some things that made sense for me, professionally, and also for my family, my wife and my kids. I’m very happy here."
Long-term commitments don't mean much in today's college football, but the grass isn't always greener elsewhere, and Sumrall seems content to remain a winner in New Orleans.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com