Jon Sumrall named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Month for September
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Florida football's first-year head coach Jon Sumrall has the Gators out to their best start since 2019 after winning the first four games of the 2026 schedule. His success earned him the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Month for September, as announced by the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and the Peach Bowl Inc. on Friday.
"The Gators' landmark win over No. 4 Ole Miss caught the eyes of the nation, but Coach Sumrall's team displayed excellence throughout all of September," said foundation chairman Jim Terry.
"Florida has combined a newly implemented system with much of the on-field talent that showed promise a year ago. We look forward to seeing what new heights this team can reach."
Sumrall's team has scored the most points (214) and has the second-largest scoring differential (plus-123) in program history by a head coach through the first four games of his tenure. He is the seventh head coach in school history to start off with a 4-0 record, joining legends including Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer and Galen Hall, and is also the first head coach in SEC history to score over 200 points in his first four games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Sumrall's squad currently ranks fourth overall in the FBS with a 96.8 rating, while landing at fifth in overall offense (92.5) and 13th in overall defense (90.7). Florida's rushing attack, run defense and tackling rank among the best in college football, checking in at second (92.6), third (93.5) and second (89.1), respectively.
The receiver corps also ranks highly among the program's peers, coming in at seventh (91.6) in the nation, while run blocking ranks 10th (75.5) and pass blocking ranks 13th (83.0).
About the Dodd Trophy
The Dodd Trophy was established in 1976 to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field. The award honors the coach of a team that enjoys a successful football season, while also stressing the importance of academic excellence and character, as did Coach Dodd's teams during his 22 years as head football coach of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
Coach Dodd remains one of college football's legendary figures, both as a coach and a player. Coach Dodd was a native of Galax, Virginia, and played his college ball at the University of Tennessee, where his team had 27 wins, one loss and two ties during the three years he played. Coach Dodd was selected to the National College Football Hall of Fame both as a coach and as a player.
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Jon Sumrall named Dodd Trophy Coach of the Month for September
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