Where Jon Sumrall ranks among college football's first-year head coaches
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Florida football is off to its best start since 2019 and a lion's share of the credit for this early-season success lies on the shoulders of first-year head coach Jon Sumrall, who was brought in to restore glory to the Orange and Blue.
Through the Gators' first four games of the 2026 campaign, Sumrall and Co. are undefeated, scoring 214 points while allowing 91 points through 16 quarters of play. The offense has been electric, the special teams have been special, and the defense, while still showing some weaknesses, has been sufficiently solid to keep the team undefeated.
It should come as no surprise, then, that Sumrall is ranked among the top in USA TODAY Sports writer Paul Myerberg's first-year head coaches rankings, landing at No. 2 just behind UCLA's Bob Chesney and ahead of Virginia Tech's James Franklin.
"The No. 8 Gators have exceeded even the most optimistic hopes for Sumrall’s first month," Myerberg notes. "Florida has scored at least 40 points in each of the first four games for the first time since 2001 and have one of the best wins by any team this season in last weekend’s 52-28 victory against No. 12 Mississippi."
One day before publishing his rankings, Myerberg actually singled out Sumrall as the best first-year head coach in his college football report card after Week 4.
"Chesney and No. 13 Utah coach Morgan Scalley are both deserving candidates after a strong start. But Florida has scored at least 40 points in each of the first four games of the year for the first time since 2001, capped by Saturday’s 52-28 win against No. 12 Mississippi."
It is also worth noting that Florida's previous head coach, Billy Napier, is also off to a strong start at his new school, James Madison, landing at No. 6 in the rankings.
"Napier has done what he’s supposed to do when taking over a winning environment: Keep the Dukes rolling as one of the top teams in the Group of Six. It's been an impressive first month."
Sumrall looks to continue his early success with the Orange and Blue on Saturday against the Missouri Tigers in Columbia, where the Gators have won just twice in six tries. Florida's last victory at Faurot Field came in 2019.
College football's top-10 first-year head coaches
- Bob Chesney, UCLA (4-0)
- Jon Sumrall, Florida (4-0)
- James Franklin, Virginia Tech (4-0)
- Morgan Scalley, Utah (4-0)
- Lane Kiffin, LSU (3-1)
- Billy Napier, James Madison (4-0)
- Pete Golding, Mississippi (3-1)
- Will Stein, Kentucky (3-1)
- Eric Morris, Oklahoma State (3-1)
- Charles Huff, Memphis (3-1)
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Where Jon Sumrall ranks among college football's first-year head coaches
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