Sources: Gators Nix Interview With Tulane’s John Sumrall
Amid the buzz surrounding Lane Kiffin and the Florida Gators regarding the team’s next head coach, any other candidate for the job seemingly has been outcasted.
However, WRUF sources close to the situation report that UF scheduled a meeting Thuursday with Tulane coach John Sumrall, then canceled the interview.
Auburn is targeting Sumrall, as his representatives have allegedly exchanged phone numbers with Auburn athletic director John Cohen. Cohen and Florida athletic director Scott Stricklin worked together at Mississippi State.
In four years as a coach, Sumrall bolsters a 40-11 overall record. Before Tulane, Sumrall coached Troy, where he went 23-4 in two seasons. He led the Trojans to back-to-back Sun Belt championships.
In the two years he has been with Tulane, Sumrall is 17-7. He led the Green Wave to a 9-5 record and faced the Gators in the Gasparilla Bowl, where Florida won 33-8.
Tulane is 8-2 this season and ranked at No. 24 in the College Football Playoff rankings. Tulane is projected to get the last at-large bid for a conference champion in the CFP.
All roads still lead to Kiffin being Florida’s number one option. Kiffin’s son, Knox Kiffin, and ex-wife, Layla Kiffin, were in Gainesville Sunday and met with Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore.
After reports of Ole Miss giving Kiffin an ultimatum to make a decision by the Egg Bowl, Kiffin denied the rumors on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
“That’s absolutely not true. There’s been no ultimatum, anything like that at all,” Kiffin said, with Ole Miss running back Kewan Lacy in the room.
Kiffin spoke Wednesday at the SEC teleconference and took on some aggressive questions from journalists. One journalist asked Kiffin whether he could take another job before the postseason and whether the courting process was flattering.
“It doesn’t feel good on this call. I said it before — if programs want your coach, that should be looked at as an amazing thing and a great thing by your fans,” Kiffin said. “Is it a good thing that other programs want your coach because your programs are experiencing success it’s never had? Or would you rather be 5-6 or 6-5 or something right now?”
Category: College Football, Feature Sports News, Gators Football
