When Florida needed a new football coach, Athletic Director Scott Stricklin sought insight from none other than Urban Meyer. On a recent episode of "The Triple Option," Meyer and Jon Sumrall delved into the journey that led Sumrall to become the head coach of the Gators.
In an engaging clip shared by the podcast's X account, Meyer discussed what convinced him that Sumrall was the right fit for Gainesville.
“I’m not even sure Coach Sumrall knows this, but I did some homework,” Meyer explained. “I had a friend gather about 10 interviews he did, and I had them pick the best ones because I didn’t have time to go through them all.
I also talked to people who coached against him and watched the film. Coach Sumrall blew me away.
“I called Scott Stricklin back, and there was one issue-Coach Sumrall’s wife is an Auburn Tiger. I don’t want to get too deep into that, but when I heard it, I flipped my hat backward, gave a recruiting speech, and went after him.”
Jon Sumrall, the new @GatorsFB coach, shared his excitement when his phone rang with @CoachUrbanMeyer offering the opportunity to lead Florida. #collegefootball
- The Triple Option (@3xOptionShow) February 25, 2026
Auburn was also searching for a new coach after parting ways with Hugh Freeze midseason. Meyer, remembered by Florida fans as a top-notch recruiter, demonstrated his prowess once again by helping bring Sumrall to Gainesville.
Sumrall expressed his respect for Meyer and recounted his reaction to being approached by the coach who led Florida to two national championships.
“I was a GA at Kentucky when Coach Meyer was leading Florida,” Sumrall recalled. “As a young coach, I saw him as the standard for success in this profession.
So when your phone rings and you might be a candidate for the University of Florida head coaching job, and Urban Meyer is on the other end, it’s surreal. I got chills and thought, okay, this is real.”