New Florida football coach Jon Sumrall receives endorsement from UF coaching legends

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New Florida football coach Jon Sumrall received a strong endorsement from two UF coaching legends

Former Florida Gators coaches Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier both released statements supporting the hire of the 43-year-old Sumrall on Nov. 30.

Meyer, who led Florida to two national titles (2006, 2008) and will be inducted into UF's ring of honor next season, helped recruit Sumrall during the interview process. The two shared a conversation about the job last week, after Meyer was honored at The Swamp for his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame.

"What a special day for Gator Nation," Meyer said. "Jon is one of the top young coaches in the game. I've studied Coach Sumrall and have gotten to spend some time with him. His teams are tough, physical and he creates a competitive environment. I look forward to getting to know him even more and the special things he will do at Florida."

Spurrier pointed to Sumrall's 42-11 coaching record and his ability in leading Troy and Tulane to four straight conference title games in four seasons.

"I'm 100 percent supportive of the hiring of Coach Sumrall," Spurrier said. "He is an excellent choice and has the track record to prove it. He is a young coach on the way up and certainly has a winning record and produced winning teams. He is coaching in his fourth straight league's championship game Friday night. He's a proven winner and he will bring a little more fire and emotion to our team."

Former Heisman-winning Florida quarterback Danny Wuerffel also endorsed the hire and said Sumrall "plans to bring in a top-flight offensive coordinator."

Kevin Brockway is The Gainesville Sun’s Florida beat writer. Contact him at kbrockway@gannett.com. Follow him on X @KevinBrockwayG1. Read his coverage of the Gators’ national championship basketball season in “CHOMP-IONS!” — a hardcover coffee-table collector’s book from The Sun. Details at Florida.ChampsBook.com

This article originally appeared on The Gainesville Sun: New Florida coaching hire gets endorsement from UF coaching legends

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