Stricklin Gives Sumrall Massive Coaching Budget

Florida football named Tulane head coach John Sumrall as the program’s 31st head coach on Sunday, but the biggest news might be the budget for assistant coaches. 

Athletic director Scott Stricklin welcomed Sumrall to Gainesville on Monday after he signed a six-year, $44.7 million contract, handing him an additional $16.3 million budget for assistant coaches and support staff.

In comparison, Florida’s total football staff salary this past season was $15.725 million, which included ex-head coach Billy Napier’s $7.4 million annual salary. The rest of the staff’s total salary only comprised $8.325 million.

With this move, Stricklin is putting all his chips in the middle, nearly doubling the budget for assistant coaches and support staff, after the conclusion of a dismal 4-8 season where the Gators beat rival Florida State 40-21 on Saturday night.

With this new budget, the Gators would have had the highest annual coaching budget in the SEC this season, ahead of Georgia, whose assistant coaching and support staff salary was $10.332 million on top of Kirby Smart’s $13 million annual salary. Florida’s staff was ranked 11th in the SEC last season.

“We’re going to attract a championship-level staff here at the University of Florida,” Sumrall said Monday.

Sumrall has stated that he is looking for NFL coaching experience for his new staff. His first hire will be Kentucky’s defensive coordinator, Brad White, who will serve in the same role for the Gators. White’s annual salary last year was $1.75 million.

The emphasis on Stricklin’s budget was that it was a minimum budget. Sumrall can go above it if need be. The vision is clear. Florida is entering a new age of Gator football.

Category: College Football, Football, Gators Football