Gainesville-area high school football coaches sound off on Jon Sumrall's hiring

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Many Florida football fans didn’t know much about Jon Sumrall when Athletic Director Scott Stricklin hired him November 30.

In the 10 days since, they’ve learned Sumrall’s passion and his, at times comedic, ability to wear two hats as he’s still coaching Tulane in the College Football Playoff.

For Gainesville-area high school football coaches, this information is nothing new.

Infectious energy

UF program legend Cornelius Ingram expressed excitement over Sumrall’s hiring. The Hawthorne coach saw Hornet players get recruited by Sumrall while he was at Troy.

The two share the same energy. Sumrall and Ingram are both coaches you expect players would run through a wall for.

“You can feel the energy, and that’s what it takes when you’re getting your team to buy-in. That they understand you are in the fox hole with them,” Ingram said.

Ingram acknowledged Sumrall’s differing mentality from Billy Napier, but as a former player, that pumps Ingram up. He’s amped up for football season, even though it’s nine months away and Sumrall is still coaching another team.

Ingram’s coach, Urban Meyer, showed his support by attending Sumrall’s introductory press conference on December 1. That made him even more pleased after the two spoke about the hire.

“We all know Coach Meyer will go down as one of the greatest coaches in college football history, so when he says something, people listen,” Ingram said. “I believe and trust in him that we have the right guy.”

Familiar relationship

Buchholz coach Mark Whittemore’s connection to Sumrall dates back further than Ingram. His oldest son, Luke, played for Troy as a wide receiver when Sumrall was the associate head coach from 2015-2017. Now, Luke is an assistant athletic director at Tulane.

Whittemore noted Sumrall’s ability to turn around struggling programs. In Alabama, he took a Troy program with three straight five-win seasons to 12 and 11 wins. Tulane experienced success before Sumrall’s arrival, but Willie Fritz grabbed many of his best players en route to Houston. In year two, the Green Wave are 11-2 and CFP bound.

“He’s been in some different situations that have shown his coaching pedigree and acumen,” Whittemore said. “It takes a lot of energy, and he has energy to burn.”

Whittemore wants to continue the “special relationship” Buchholz has with UF. The Bobcats rose to prominence during Napier’s tenure, and he recruited many Bobcats – including linebacker Myles Graham and new signee WR Justin Williams.

“We have to continue to have the players. There’s no free ice cream, so Coach Sumrall is going to sign good football players, not just Buchholz Bobcats,” Whittemore said. “Justin Williams is a really good football player, so I would expect coach Sumrall to want a guy like that.”

It helps that he holds familiarity with the Whittemore family. He offered sons Trent, Creed and Andrew – the sophomore QB for BHS.

Offensive excitement

Earnest Graham offers a unique perspective. Yes, he’s a coach on the rise – taking Santa Fe to a 7-3 record after two combined wins over four years. He’s also the father of Myles Graham – one of the top prospects on Florida’s defense.

Myles Graham became the first current player to endorse Sumrall, so it’s not surprising to see Earnest Graham show support as well.

“Myles is always out in front. He’s not conflicted about where he wants to be and who is first in his heart, and that’s the Florida Gators,” Earnest Graham said.

The legendary running back also approved of Sumrall’s early insistence that Jadan Baugh needs the ball more. He proclaimed that Baugh always makes the right decision.

“He plays with the perfect patience, and he has phenomenal footwork,” Earnest Graham said. “He’s a blend of a lot of different running backs, but he’s already proven to be one of the best to suit up here.”

Sumrall’s style is needed in today’s parody age, Earnest Graham says.

“A team that is committed to each other and intrinsically motivated is going to win football games and build a culture,” Earnest Graham said.

Similar to Ingram, Graham values the support of Gator coaching legends, as a playing legend himself. For him, it’s Steve Spurrier – who was also in attendance for the press conference.

Sumrall will fully take the reigns of the Florida program once Tulane’s season is over.

Noah Ram covers Florida Gators athletics and Gainesville-area high school sports for The Gainesville Sun, GatorSports.com and the USA TODAY Network. Contact him at nram@gannett.com. Follow him on X @Noah_ram1. 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: Gainesville area HS coaches approve of Florida football’s Jon Sumrall hiring

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