Jon Sumrall didn’t mince words after Tulane’s season came to a crashing halt in the first round of the College Football Playoff. The Green Wave fell 41-10 to an Ole Miss squad playing without former head coach Lane Kiffin, and Sumrall, who’s on his way to Gainesville to take over at Florida, made his message to the team crystal clear.
“I told them it’s not ok to lose,” Sumrall said. “Anybody that tells you it’s okay to lose, get away from them for the rest of your life.”
That’s vintage Sumrall - intense, direct, and fiercely competitive. Tulane came into the matchup as the clear underdog, but there was a sense of momentum around the program.
After all, Sumrall had just led the team to a conference championship in his first and only season, and the way he handled his transition to Florida had earned him plenty of respect. But on the field, Ole Miss had the final say, overwhelming the Green Wave and sending them home with a tough result.
A Coach Who Never Lost the Locker Room
Despite the lopsided score, Sumrall didn’t let the outcome define his bond with the team. His postgame message wasn’t just about the loss - it was about the journey, the relationships, and the legacy this group leaves behind.
“That doesn’t change how I feel about them,” he said. “I love this group. I love each guy on the team.”
It was a heartfelt moment from a coach who’s made it clear that his connection with players runs deeper than wins and losses. Sumrall reminded his team that no scoreboard can erase what they accomplished together.
“This team will walk together forever as champions because we won a conference championship,” he said. “While the outcome tonight sucks, and I’m not happy with it and there’s nothing about it that I feel good about, I still feel good about this football team because we hoisted a conference championship trophy.”
That’s the kind of message that resonates - not just with players, but with fans and programs looking for more than just a coach who can draw up plays. Sumrall’s not afraid to hold his team to a high standard, but he’s also the first to remind them of what they’ve achieved and who they are beyond the game.
A New Chapter, Same Core Values
As Sumrall steps into his new role at Florida, he leaves behind a Tulane program that’s better than he found it - not just in the standings, but in culture. And even though his time in New Orleans was brief, the impact was lasting. Before leaving, he made one final promise to his players.
He told them he’s just a phone call away.
That’s not just coach speak. That’s who Sumrall is.
Since taking the Florida job, he’s shown time and again that his focus isn’t just on building a winning team - it’s on building men. He wants his players to succeed on Saturdays, sure, but he’s just as invested in who they become off the field.
For Tulane, the loss to Ole Miss stings. But for the players who took the field in that green and blue, they walk away with a championship, a brotherhood, and a coach who’s not leaving them behind - just moving on to his next challenge.