2024 Purdue Football Coaching Search - Jon Sumrall
Who Is He?
Jon Sumrall is a 42 year old Alabama native and proud Kentucky linebacker and alum. After 17 years as a defensive assistant coach at Tulane, Troy, Ole Miss, and Kentucky, Sumrall got his first chance at a head coaching gig at Troy in Alabama, all before his 40th birthday. Sumrall took over for the fired Chip Lindsey, following three sub-.500 seasons following Neal Brown’s run of three straight 10-win seasons. Sumrall immediately led Tulane to 12 wins in 2022 and 11 wins in 2023.
One year ago, he was hired to succeed Willie Fritz after 8 phenomenal years at Tulane, after the carousel took Fritz to Houston. Sumrall hasn’t missed a beat - they are currently 9-3 (losses to Kansas State, Oklahoma, and Memphis), and will be facing Army in the American Athletic Conference championship.
Why would he be successful at Purdue?
In his three years as a head coach, Sumrall is averaging over 10 wins per season. He’s got a talented team with players who could come with - though, that’s always a risk when you have to move from New Orleans to West Lafayette. He’s beloved everywhere he goes, and he will be able to be very picky with his next job.
Why could he flop at Purdue?
A bright, young, defensive-minded coach without geographic ties to the Midwest didn’t quite work out this year. Now, Sumrall has experience running very very good programs, but the regional change is why he could struggle - and why he’s likely to not even pick up the phone for Purdue.
Would he come to Purdue?
I think it’s safe to be definitive here - absolutely not.
Sumrall is a tremendous coach, but ties to Kentucky isn’t enough to make him more Big Ten than SEC. He’s got Tulane in great shape to win for the next two years, and with an extremely quiet cycle this year, the time to cash in might be in the 2025 or 2026 offseasons.
Sumrall might be at the top of North Carolina’s board right now. Kentucky could come open very soon, and they’ll definitely go after their current favorite son. Arkansas and Auburn both have tenuous coaching situations, and the budgets to match their ludicrous ambition, and might be the destination jobs Sumrall would look at. But if he can get Purdue now, he can definitely land a more resourced job next year.
