College football world claims major program whiffed on head coaching hire

No two coaching hires are quite exactly the same. Circumstances of the last coach, strengths and weaknesses of the program, and the talents of the various candidates all change greatly from coaching search to coaching search. So if a major SEC program needs revitalized and grabs a promising up-and-coming coach with Sun Belt experience, it's unlikely that they'd do the same thing twice. And if the first time didn't work out, it's even stranger.

Florida repeats its own history?

Unless it's Florida, where Billy Napier came from a 40-12 mark in four Sun Belt seasons to try to turn around the Gators. Four rough seasons later, the Gators turn to an up-and-coming young coach who has gone 42-11 in four Group of Five seasons (two in the Sun Belt). While many will no doubt vouch for Sumrall and his SEC experience, many also vouched for Napier and his time spent at Alabama ahead of head coaching work.

Criticism of Sumrall hire

Some within the media are already suggesting that perhaps Florida struck out on the hiring of Sumrall after missing out on the Lane Kiffin sweepstakes. Consider Paul Finebaum among the critics. He criticized Sumrall for picking Florida instead of Auburn, noting, "I don't know how Jon Sumrall fits [at Florida].... I'm not sure anybody fits Florida."

Florida's downshift from Kiffin

Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi is another voice not enthralled with the Sumrall hiring. Bianchi jokingly termed the Florida coaching hunt as Florida "hoping to board the Lane Train and will likely end up in a Jon Boat." Bianchi summed up the mood around Florida's season-ending win over Florida State as "that lingering sour pit-in-the-stomach heartbreak of a fanbase forced to downshift from imagining Kiffin’s swaggering arrival to debating whether the defensive-minded Sumrall is the 'right cultural fit.'"

History not on Sumrall's Side

Additionally, Hail Florida Hail writer Benjamin Henderson noted a trend. AAC title-winning head coaches who move up to the power conference level have not fared well. Henderson listed all of those coaches and names like Luke Fickell, Scott Frost, and Mike Norvell don't paint a terribly helpful picture.

While Sumrall is getting the benefit of the doubt from many who were underwhelmed by the Billy Napier era, it's clear that some within the college football world are skeptical of the quick post-Kiffin move to hire Sumrall. The proof, no doubt, will ultimately be in the pudding for Sumrall and the Gators.