Emerging college football coach finally addresses LSU rumors

One of the top names in the LSU coaching search has directly addressed the rumors.

What Jon Sumrall said about the open LSU head coaching position. | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

College football’s coaching carousel went into overdrive this week after LSU fired Brian Kelly, but one of the coaches talked about as his replacement doesn’t have time for that conversation.

Tulane coach Jon Sumrall says he is entirely focused on his team’s efforts to win the American Conference this season, and all that chatter about him bolting for LSU is just idle speculation.

“I get those questions because we’re having success. The coaching carousel isn’t even a thought,” Sumrall told reporters on Tuesday.

He added: “We’re in the midseason phase. Whatever people want to speculate, they can do that. UTSA has 100 percent of my focus.”

Tulane has enough on its plate right now

Tulane finds itself in an important position in the Group of Five as the College Football Playoff selection committee prepares to release its first official top 25 rankings soon.

Undefeated in conference play but with its one loss in 2025 coming against a very good, top-ten ranked Ole Miss earlier this season, the Green Wave heads into a matchup against UTSA this week and then a critical test against ranked Memphis right after in a two-game stretch that could put this team in the playoff picture, or right out of it.

As it stands this week, Tulane sits in second place in the American standings, behind undefeated Navy, which it doesn’t play in the regular season, and just ahead of Memphis.

College Football Playoff picture

Whatever team eventually wins the American Conference championship is considered the heavy favorite to be named to the Group of Five’s automatic bid in the College Football Playoff given the number of teams currently competing at a high level nationally.

Tulane sits just outside the AP top 25 rankings this week, placing 27th in the latest ballot with 59 votes, right behind Navy, which was 26th in the new poll with 86 total votes.

LSU hops on the coaching carousel

Right after LSU made it official and asked Brian Kelly to leave the building, the rumor mill went into immediate overdrive speculating on who will replace him.

Lane Kiffin appears to be on the top of the leader board right now, even as he tries to get Ole Miss into the playoff.

Kiffin currently paces all candidates with a 24 percent shot to land at LSU, with +317 odds to take the position, according to prediction market Kalshi.

Sumrall is not far behind, placing second with a 21 percent likelihood of being offered and accepting the position, with +376 odds.

Marcus Freeman of Notre Dame is third (12%, +733), followed by Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator (and former LSU assistant during the 2019 title run) Joe Brady (9%, +1011).

What Jon 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.

He has also been connected in recent reporting to the Kentucky position, should it come open, as analysts are of the opinion the school is preparing to move on from Mark Stoops eventually.

Sumrall went 23-4 in two seasons at Troy, which was ranked in the AP poll in his first season, and is currently 15-6 with Tulane entering this weekend.

Overall, he’s 38-10 in his career as a head coach.

But to hear him talk, it sounds like Sumrall wants to build on that record at Tulane, not at LSU.