The Florida Gators are turning the page - and they’re doing it with a coach who’s already proven he knows how to win in today’s College Football Playoff landscape.
After parting ways with Billy Napier, Florida made a bold hire in Jon Sumrall, the former Tulane head coach who had just led the Green Wave to the CFP. While Lane Kiffin’s name was floated early in the process, with buzz connecting him to both Florida and LSU, the Gators ultimately landed a coach who brings a gritty, defensive-minded identity - and perhaps more importantly, a recent track record of winning.
Sumrall’s arrival in Gainesville signals a shift in philosophy. He built his reputation on defense, first at Troy and then at Tulane, where he turned both programs into tough, disciplined outfits. But what’s just as critical for Florida’s future is who’s running the offense - and that’s where Buster Faulkner comes in.
Faulkner, fresh off a 9-4 season calling plays at Georgia Tech, has joined Florida as offensive coordinator. And he didn’t mince words when explaining why he made the jump. During a recent appearance on Gator Tales with host Sean Kelly, Faulkner laid out exactly what drew him to Gainesville - and why he felt Georgia Tech had likely hit its ceiling.
“I wanted to be somewhere and work with someone who was defensive-minded,” Faulkner said. “That was an attraction for me.
(Jon Sumrall) is a proven winner. What he did at Troy in a short amount of time, then went over to Tulane and continued the winning, is something I’m attracted to.
I want to be a part of a winning program. I want to have a chance to play for national championships.”
That’s a pretty clear message. Faulkner didn’t just want a new job - he wanted a shot at the sport’s biggest prize. And while Georgia Tech made strides under head coach Brent Key, including a strong 2025 campaign, Faulkner’s comments suggest he didn’t see a realistic path to the playoff in Atlanta.
That’s not exactly a knock on Key, who has been vocal about his long-term vision for the Yellow Jackets. In 2025, he spoke about building a foundation that could elevate Georgia Tech into a consistent contender - not just a flash-in-the-pan team that flirts with relevance for a couple of weeks, but a program that stays in the national conversation for years to come.
Still, that kind of transformation takes time. And Faulkner, clearly, is ready to win now.
For Florida, this is a big-time hire. The Gators haven’t played for a national championship since 2008, back when Urban Meyer and Tim Tebow had The Swamp rocking. They’ve been chasing that standard ever since, and now they’ve got a coaching tandem in Sumrall and Faulkner that checks a lot of boxes: proven leadership, a defense-first foundation, and an offensive coordinator who’s hungry to compete at the highest level.
The road to the College Football Playoff is never easy - especially in the SEC - but Florida just took a major step toward getting back in the mix. And with Faulkner now calling plays in Gainesville, the Gators may finally have the balance they’ve been missing.