Troy football's Sumrall leaving to lead Tulane

Tulane University on Friday announced the hiring of Troy University football coach Jon Sumrall as its next head coach.

Sumrall, 41, led Troy to a 23-4 record and back-to-back Sun Belt Conference championships in his two years with the Trojans. He is tasked with replacing Willie Fritz, who left Tulane to take over the job at Houston.

Tulane noted that Troy's 23 wins during Sumrall's two seasons as head coach are tied for the third most in the country (with Tulane), trailing only Georgia, Michigan and Washington.

"Under Jon's direction we expect that our football team will continue on its current path and reach even greater heights," said Tulane President Michael A. Fitts. "Our success in athletics reflects the momentum of the university as a whole in research, academics and service to our city and world. The future for Tulane is very bright indeed and the Wave is definitely on a roll!

The Huntsville native isn't new to Tulane. He worked as a co-defensive coordinator at Tulane from 2012-2014. Sumrall played for Kentucky and, in addition to his stint with Tulane, has coached at Kentucky and Ole Miss.

Programs such as Mississippi State, Duke and Kentucky all reportedly showed some interest in Sumrall, who is seen as an "SEC-worthy coach."

Sumrall was a prime candidate for the job at Mississippi State earlier this cycle and would have been a top target for the potential opening at Kentucky earlier this year.

Most within the industry believe the Green Wave, if the deal is finalized, is getting an SEC-worthy coach.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) December 8, 2023