‘They Didn’t Want Me, and I Didn’t Want Them’ — Florida HC Jon Sumrall Pours Scorn on Auburn Speculation After Gators’ Statement Win
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Florida’s win at Auburn gave Jon Sumrall plenty to celebrate, but questions about his connection to the Tigers also followed. The Gators coach had already moved on from the coaching search that once linked his name to Auburn.
After his team’s road victory, however, reporters brought that old storyline back into the conversation.
Florida HC Jon Sumrall Dismisses Auburn Job Speculation After Gators’ Win
Sumrall did not entertain the suggestion that beating Auburn carried extra meaning because of the previous coaching speculation. When asked about Auburn and whether he had interviewed for the job, Sumrall immediately challenged the premise.
“Who said I interviewed for this job? What are you talking about? I didn’t interview,” Sumrall said. He then made his position even clearer: “They didn’t want me. I didn’t want them.”
The comments followed Florida’s 44-39 victory at Jordan-Hare Stadium, giving the Gators a strong start to their SEC schedule. The result also sparked renewed interest in why Sumrall’s name had been so closely associated with Auburn during the previous coaching cycle.
Sumrall’s background made the speculation understandable. He was born in Texarkana, Texas, raised in Huntsville, Alabama, and previously coached at Troy from 2022 to 2023. His wife, Ginny Sumrall, is also an Auburn alumna. These ties, along with reports that Auburn viewed him as a major candidate, kept his name attached to the search.
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College football analyst Oliver Hodgkinson reflected that confusion after hearing Sumrall’s comments. Heshared the post on X and wrote, “Didn’t everyone think Sumrall interviewed for the Auburn role though? I was having this exact conversation earlier today.”
Sumrall’s denial conflicts with some reporting from the 2025 search. CBS Sports reported that Auburn and Sumrall held weeks of discussions, including an in-home meeting in New Orleans, while other reports cited Auburn officials describing a Zoom meeting as an initial interview followed by an in-person meeting. Sumrall, however, said after Florida’s win that he ‘didn’t interview.’
The coaching search eventually took a different path. FootballScoop reported on Nov. 29, 2025, that Sumrall had withdrawn his name from consideration before Florida hired him the following day. Auburn then hired South Florida coach Alex Golesh.
The timing gave the Auburn speculation another life after Florida’s win, but Sumrall made it clear that he does not view his victory through that lens. His response instead drew a firm line between the coaching search and what happened on the field at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.
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