Auburn could land rising college football coach LSU is overlooking, insider says

One of the Group of Five's up and coming head coaches could be in line for the post at Auburn, as an insider notes LSU likely won't be interested.

Auburn could benefit from LSU not wanting one of college football's rising Group of Five coaches, an insider has revealed. | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

College football’s coaching carousel is in full swing and by far the biggest name on the big board remains Lane Kiffin, amid the rumors that the Ole Miss coach will jump ship for greener pastures either at LSU or Florida next season.

Overlooked in the confusion is what Auburn is looking to do, and one college football insider believes that a rising Group of Five coach who might be a good option for LSU could land on The Plains instead.

Sumrall to Auburn? It could happen...

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall could be a good candidate to replace Hugh Freeze as LSU is not expected to be interested in him, according to The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman.

“I would not be surprised if he’s the Auburn head coach,” Feldman told Todd McShay. 

“I don’t know if LSU would do it because, again, LSU does some nutty stuff and unless they’re backed into a corner, I don’t think they are going to do the thing that may make the most sense. They’re going to do the thing that sounds the coolest at the press conference.”

Hence LSU’s clearer interest in Kiffin, the biggest star currently in the mix and the current betting favorite to replace Brian Kelly, according to multiple sports books.

Sumrall, meanwhile, has taken a big leap on the Auburn leader board in recent days, rising to a commanding 70 percent likelihood to take the job, according to the prediction market Kalshi.

Speculation around a potential move by Sumrall to the SEC has picked up this week, as reports emerged that he had an interview set up with Florida, and then reported that he did not, in fact, have an interview set up with Florida.

LSU overlooking Sumrall could help Auburn

Dipping into the lower ranks of football doesn’t seem like something LSU would do, according to Feldman’s estimation of the school’s strategy.

“I’ve always heard LSU money people would not hire a Tulane or a Group of Five guy,” he said. 

“Jon Sumrall is a terrific coach. He’s at Tulane. He played in the SEC, coached in the SEC. I’ve never met anybody who’s been involved in football who was not impressed by him.”

They have reason to be right now, as Tulane was named the No. 24 team in the latest College Football Playoff rankings and is the current favorite to be the No. 12 seed as the Group of Five representative.

Sumrall is an Alabama native who coached at Troy before Tulane, has deep ties in Alabama, and is considered to be a popular figure among high school coaches in the state, a very lucrative position for any coach at Auburn to be in.

What Sumrall has done on the field

Sumrall has been on coaching staffs in the SEC before at Kentucky, his alma mater, and Ole Miss, before taking the top job first at Troy and then Tulane.

Sumrall went 23-4 in two seasons at Troy, which was ranked in the AP poll in his first season, and is currently 8-2 with Tulane entering this weekend, with a 17-7 overall record there.

Overall, he’s 40-11 in his career as a head coach at both schools.

(Feldman)