Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall was almost the Auburn Tigers' replacement for Hugh Freeze. Once UF moved in on Sumrall last November, John Cohen and Co. pivoted to hire Alex Golesh away from the USF Bulls. Sumrall was the Tigers' preferred option until he was off the market.
Perhaps it's best that things worked out the way they did. The Auburn beat might've quickly grown tired with Sumrall's antics. Sumrall's try-hard moment at the 2026 SEC Football Media Days may have proven that singlehandedly.
The moment: Sumrall ripping a reporter and claiming he'd be removed from a team meeting because the reporter's phone went off.
"You would be kicked out of our team meeting. I swear. You're lucky I'm not gonna throw this freaking podium right now. That drives me crazy," Sumrall told the reporter.
The response from On3's Justin Hokanson: "lol ok man."
Sumrall was in his new home state during 2026 SEC Football Media Days in Tampa, and the media was light on him. Well, besides the ringtone interruption. Things will get tough in Gainesville if Sumrall doesn't have the Gators winning. Florida is anxious after sitting through nearly four years of stall-and-start football under Billy Napier.
Even Nick Saban, a full-time Floridian despite making $500,000 as a special advisor to the University of Alabama's athletic department, issued a public warning for Sumrall to get his s*** together on ESPN airwaves.
"Jon, let me tell you something... You gotta have thick skin down there in Gainesville. They expect a lot. But you know what? You just gotta stay focused on the process. Don't listen to all the noise... Build it the right way," Saban told Sumrall.
Alex Golesh is proving that Plan B was a smart pivot for Auburn
Golesh didn't do anything try-hard at the 2026 SEC Football Media Days. He showed up with an improved physique and didn't buy into his own recruiting hype until there are results on the field, saying all the right things on Tuesday. That's self-awareness in the post-Freeze era at its finest.
Golesh joins a situation that will be tougher to manage than Sumrall's new situation, but with a higher ceiling for potential glory. There's more politics at AU than UF, but there appear to be deeper pockets in the Sunshine State. When things are good in the Loveliest Village, though, the sun shines brighter on Lee County, Alabama, than anywhere else.
Golesh got to import what worked for his USF Bulls, mainly the play-caller (Joel Gordon), the quarterback (Byrum Brown), and six skill-position threats (five WRs, two RBs), to the Plains. That is perfect for the Tigers after Freeze was fired and his offensive recruits hit the portal en masse.
Jon Sumrall and Alex Golesh are better where they are than where they could've been
Sumrall is in a pressure cooker in Florida, while Golesh is in one at Auburn. It's possible Sumrall, coming off a CFP appearance with the Tulane Green Wave, would've been more in one with the Tigers. A repeat CFP appearance might've been more expected than with Golesh, especially because Sumrall was option A and is a defensive-minded guy. Those types win at AU. On the flip side, Golesh also would've had more pressure north of Tampa had he left USF for UF. For obvious geographical reasons. Not to mention, those Bulls fans would be just as mad had Golesh become a Gator.
Maybe everyone is where they belong. Better yet, maybe Golesh is, and another SEC fanbase will have to live with the silly hijinks Sumrall brought with him from NOLA.
If Golesh is more business-minded and stoic than that, which it definitely seems like, he's definitely where he needs to be.
Work needs to be done in East Central Alabama. Auburn doesn't need any more viral moments from a head coach.
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