Jon Sumrall didn’t wait long to give Florida fans a feel for his edge.
At SEC Media Day, the new Gators head coach was in the middle of answering a question when a reporter’s cell phone rang and cut him off. Sumrall stopped, turned toward the sound, and made sure everyone in the room knew exactly how he felt.
“You’d be kicked out of our team meeting,” he said. “I swear.
You’re lucky I’m not going to throw my freakin’ podium right now. It drives me crazy.
I would say, “Who is that?” But I’m not going to embarrass anybody.”
He also added, "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."
The room laughed, and the moment quickly split opinion. Some took it as a sharp, funny way for a first-year coach to establish his standard. Others thought it went too far.
Former coach Tom Crean was among the critics, posting that the reaction was unnecessary and unfair to the reporter. He wrote: "He can’t be serious on embarrassing that person.
Do you think they meant for the Phone to go off ? Did it really need that performative reaction ?
At least you got laughs at that persons expense. They DON’T work for you or play for you.
Their job is important to them too!!"
Sumrall later pushed back on that read, saying he was kidding and not actually threatening to launch the podium. "You are right Tom.
I wasn’t serious. I was joking."
The episode gave an early glimpse of the coach Florida hired to replace Billy Napier during the 2025 season. Sumrall arrived in Gainesville after two strong years at Tulane, a stretch that included a College Football Playoff appearance. His new job has already drawn attention, with some questioning the transition and others pointing to early signs that he’s bringing a different kind of energy to the program.
For one brief moment in front of the SEC Media Day microphones, though, it was a ringing phone - and Sumrall’s reaction - that became the story.
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