Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall led his team to a 27-0 win over Charlotte, a victory that puts the Green Wave in the American Conference title game against North Texas.
Sumrall has done a great job building a G5 program into one that could secure a College Football Playoff spot with a conference title.
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His ability to optimize resources at a smaller program like Tulane has caught the attention of multiple SEC powerhouses, with ties to LSU, Auburn, and, perhaps most strongly, the Florida Gators, all of whom are looking for their next head coach.
Florida stepped away from the Lane Kiffin carousel and has moved on with its search, and the Gators have targeted Sumrall as their man for the job.
Sumrall is set to make his decision on Sunday and reveal whether he will stay and continue his rebuild at Tulane or take on the monstrous task of putting Florida back together to its former glory.
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After Tulane’s win, the coach opened up about his thought process as he entered the final hours of his decision-making.
“I talked to David Harris a little bit tonight, and my wife and I’ll talk in the morning,” Sumrall said, per WGNO-TV. “Any opportunities I ever have, it’s really got a lot to do with so many other people other than myself. I love this place. I love Tulane.
“… But I’d like for tonight to be about this football team. It’s really my focus. And tomorrow morning I will wake up and there’s some things that have (been) presented that I’ll have to discuss and make a decision on.”
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Tulane is trying to keep Jon Sumrall
According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, the program has offered him a four million per year salary to keep him, though Florida should be able to match or even surpass that amount if they are convinced in the coach.
Florida offers a reasonable path to a National Championship, and he would become a national star if he turned that program around. Tulane, meanwhile, would give him a long leash and remain loyal to him if he ever went through struggles.
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