Tulane fans may not like it, but Jon Sumrall’s name has already come up with several Power Four coaching searches. And the most recent FBS coaching job to open up might be the most alluring.
LSU fired former head coach Brian Kelly last weekend after the Tigers lost 49-25 against Texas A&M. They fell to 5-3 for the season and are out of the Associated Press Top 25.
Several big-time names will be considered for the job. But Sumrall has also been rumored to be a potential candidate, and that hire would make plenty of sense.
New Customer Offers at BetMGM
Bonus Bets Expire in 7 Days. One New Customer Offer Only. Add’l Terms
Jon Sumrall & LSU Football Coaching Search
Sumrall is believed by some to not just be a name in the mix at LSU, he could very well be a favorite to be offered the job.
Sumrall was asked about it during media availability this week, and he said he was focused on Tulane’s upcoming game with UTSA.
Sumrall may be a current Group of Five head coach, but considering Tulane is in New Orleans, it would be a relatively easy transition. He’s also been an assistant in the SEC at multiple schools including Kentucky and Ole Miss, so he’s very familiar with that level of competition.
“I’ve dealt with it every year as a head coach, I understand it comes with the territory, I get those questions because we’re having success,” Sumrall said. “That (success) is about our players. The coaching carousel to me is not even in the thought because we’re in the mid-season phase. So whatever someone else wants to do, what another program wants to do, what people want to speculate, they’re free to do that.”
Jon Sumrall’s Tulane Football Tenure
Sumrall is one of the top coaches in the Group of Five right now.
After he replaced Willie Fritz as Tulane’s head coach, Sumrall led the Green Wave to a 9-5 overall record and an AAC Championship appearance in 2024.
And in 2025, Tulane (6-1, 3-0 American) is one of the best teams in the G5 once again. The Green Wave started the season 3-0 with two wins over Power Four opponents, Northwestern and Duke. Then they went on the road and lost at Ole Miss 45-10.
A blowout loss like that easily could’ve derailed the season for Tulane. Instead, the Green Wave have responded with yet another three-game winning streak. They are the No. 2 team in the HERO Sports Group of Five Top 25 Media Poll and have a great chance of making the College Football Playoff this year.
Sumrall certainly has the resume to be worthy of a Power Four head coaching job.
Tulane Head Coach Jon Sumrall’s Coaching Resume
Sumrall was the head coach at Troy for only two years before going to Tulane, but he certainly made a difference. He led the Trojans to Sun Belt Championships in both of those seasons.
Sumrall, who played football at Kentucky and is from Huntsville, Alabama, led Troy to a 23-4 overall record from 2022-23.
Defense is Sumrall’s specialty, and during those two years, Troy ranked among the Sun Belt’s top three teams in total defense and scoring defense. In 2023, the Trojans allowed the 10th-fewest points per game in the FBS (17.15) and the 15th-fewest yards per game (306.5).
He also had prior experience at Tulane. He was the team’s co-defensive coordinator from 2012-14.
Sumrall was Kentucky’s co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach before becoming the head coach at Troy. He was also a linebackers coach at Ole Miss (2018), an assistant head coach and linebackers coach at Troy (2015-17), and an assistant at San Diego (2007-11).
Other LSU Coaching Candidates
Ole Miss Head Coach Lane Kiffin
Kiffin would be a home-run hire for LSU. The question would be, is he willing to leave Ole Miss? He recently emphasized he’s not going to make a change because of money, and he very well could be in a position to win a national championship at Ole Miss as early as this season.
Former Penn State Head Coach James Franklin
James Franklin has been a head coach in the SEC before at Vanderbilt, and Franklin does have a good amount of success. But he couldn’t quite lead Penn State to a national title, which is part of why he was fired. And would the Tigers be willing to hire a recently-fired coach?
Georgia Tech Head Coach Brent Key
Brent Key has been a fantastic head coach at Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets are 8-0 overall and are ranked eighth in the Associated Press Top 25. I personally think his name should be strongly considered for this job.
