Jon Sumrall is heading to Gainesville, but he’s not leaving New Orleans without making a statement-and not just on the field. On Monday, the soon-to-be Florida Gators head coach and his wife, Ginny, donated $100,000 to Tulane’s NIL fund, a parting gift that turned heads across the college football world.
It’s the kind of gesture you don’t see every day in a sport where coaching exits can get messy fast. Instead, Sumrall’s move was all class.
Tulane announced the donation to its Green Wave Talent Fund the same day Sumrall made the contribution. And while he’s already accepted the job at Florida, Sumrall isn’t done with the Green Wave just yet. He’s still coaching Tulane through its current playoff run, with a first-round matchup against Ole Miss looming this Saturday.
The timing of the donation couldn’t be more important. Like many Group of Five programs, Tulane’s been feeling the squeeze in the NIL arms race.
After last season, they lost both their starting quarterback, Darian Mensah, and their top running back, Makhi Hughes. Mensah took an $8 million deal to Duke, while Hughes headed west to Oregon.
That’s the reality for programs without the same financial firepower as the sport’s heavyweights.
Sumrall’s $100K won’t stop every departure, but it sends a message: he’s not walking away from Tulane empty-handed. He’s leaving something behind-not just wins, but support. In a landscape where NIL is reshaping college football’s balance of power, that kind of backing matters.
Fans noticed. Social media lit up with praise across fanbases.
One user called it “dope” and said, “All coaches should do this.” Another, an Ole Miss fan, gave Florida props for landing Sumrall and even shouted out Buster Faulkner, the Gators’ new offensive coordinator.
“Florida won this year with the coaching lottery,” they said. Others kept it simple: “What a good dude,” “That’s awesome,” and “Solid dude.”
One Gators fan claimed him already: “That’s my coach.”
And it’s not just the money that’s making noise-it’s the way Sumrall’s handling the transition. Since Florida came calling last month, he’s been juggling both jobs, even joking online about running on “2 Phones, 2 Jobs & 2 hours of sleep.” His social media profile shows him split down the middle: half Gators gear, half Green Wave.
Tulane made its next move official this week too, promoting Will Hall from pass game coordinator to head coach. Sumrall didn’t just endorse the hire-he amplified it.
“Tulane University and New Orleans are special to me and my family,” Sumrall said in the announcement. “Ginny and I are honored to support the Green Wave Talent Fund because we believe in the vision of Tulane Athletics and want to contribute to the continued success of its student-athletes.”
He added high praise for Hall: “Coach Hall possesses a keen understanding of Tulane University and its football program, along with a passion that greatly benefits the Green Wave. As a leader, he cares deeply about helping others reach their full potential and is dedicated to equipping them to achieve that goal in every way possible.”
Sumrall’s résumé speaks for itself. In four years as a head coach, he’s compiled a 43-11 record.
He went 23-4 at Troy, winning back-to-back Sun Belt titles, then posted a 20-7 mark in two seasons at Tulane-including an 11-2 finish this year and an American Athletic Conference championship. Now, Florida’s banking on him to turn around a program that’s had four losing seasons in the last five years.
And if his exit from Tulane is any indication, the Gators may have just landed more than a coach-they’ve got a leader who finishes what he starts, and does it the right way.