Jon Sumrall’s coaching future at Tulane will reportedly gain some clarity this weekend.
According to ESPN’s Pete Thamel, Sumrall is expected to make a decision Sunday on whether he will remain as Tulane’s head football coach or pursue another opportunity with Florida and Auburn being potential options.
On3.com’s Pete Nakos also reported Friday that with Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin deciding between staying at Ole Miss or taking the LSU head coaching job, Sumrall could be an option for whichever program loses out on Kiffin.
Sumrall, 43, is in the midst of his second season as the head coach at Tulane following two seasons in the same role at Troy.
His overall record as a collegiate head coach is 41-11, including an 18-7 mark at Tulane. So far this season, Sumrall has led the Green Wave to a 9-2 record, and they are tied for second in the American Conference with a 6-1 conference mark.
On the strength of wins over power-conference teams in Northwestern and Duke, plus a road victory over Memphis, Tulane is ranked 24th in the College Football Playoff rankings.
The Green Wave are the only non-power-conference team in the CFP Top 25, putting them in position for a potential CFP berth.
If Tulane wins its final regular-season game against Charlotte, reaches the American Championship Game and wins that, it will likely be the Group of 5 representative in the CFP.
That is far from guaranteed, though, since Navy and North Texas control their own destiny to the conference title game.
Regardless of how this season ends for Tulane, it has already been a highly successful one, and Sumrall’s status as a leading coaching candidate at some major programs is not surprising.
Of the four big-time jobs Sumrall has been linked to, Ole Miss may be the most logical fit, as Sumrall was the Rebels’ linebacker coach in 2018.
That job won’t be available if Kiffin commits to Ole Miss this weekend, but if he decides to make the leap for LSU, Ole Miss will suddenly become one of the most attractive jobs available.
Ole Miss, LSU, Florida and Auburn would all be significant steps up for Sumrall in terms of prestige and resources, but Ole Miss is the only team from that group enjoying the same level of success as Tulane this season.
There is no guarantee that Sumrall’s success in Group of 5 conferences would carry over to a power-conference school, but his résumé has undoubtedly earned him a major-program opportunity should he decide to take it.
