Head coach Jon Sumrall throws out the first pitch this spring at a UF softball game. (Photo: Hannah White/UAA Communications)
Scott Stricklin Sees Familiar Signs in Jon Sumrall's Fast Start at Florida
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | Football, Scott Carter
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By: Scott Carter, Senior Writer
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Todd Golden won a national championship in his third season as the UF men's basketball coach, a huge victory for the Gators and athletic director Scott Stricklin, the man who hired him.
Stricklin has a notebook from when he was talking to Golden about the job, and in it is a phrase Golden told him then, and that Stricklin often hears Golden use now when he talks to the media and fans about the kind of players he seeks to add to his program.
"We want talented guys who have a great attitude, a great work ethic and want to be Gators,'' Stricklin said. "He repeats that over and over."
Six months ago, Stricklin made another high-profile hire, luring Jon Sumrall from Tulane to replace Billy Napier after a 4-8 season. Of course, there is always a honeymoon period when a new coach replaces one that didn't live up to the hype.
But in Sumrall's case, few, if any, have ever won an offseason in Gator Nation circles as he has. Sumrall has not coached a game, but he has dramatically revived a program that needed to be shaken from its slumber.
Sumrall's energy and outgoing personality have won over many critics and, based on the latest recruiting rankings, up-and-coming players. The Gators rank in the top five nationally in recruiting for the 2027 class, a place they haven't been since the Urban Meyer and early Will Muschamp years.
"He's obviously got great energy and kind of a can-do-it confidence that rubs off on people. So, that's No. 1,'' Stricklin said. "And I think he's hired a really good staff. Probably as good of a staff as we've had since, maybe since I've been here at UF, from a football standpoint. That's critically important.
Scott Stricklin talks with Jon Sumrall, left, and Todd Golden on the day Sumrall was hired in December. (Photo: Nicole Scharff/UAA Communications)
"I think that we've seen in all of our sports that do pretty well, there's really good chemistry and talent spread throughout the coaching staff."
Much like Golden, Sumrall has remained true to much of what Stricklin and his administrative staff heard from Sumrall during the hiring process.
"I think he's done what he said he would do,'' Stricklin said. "That sounds obvious, but that doesn't happen with every coach. A lot of coaches tell you something in the interview process, and they show up, and it starts changing."
When Sumrall shared names of coaches he wanted to hire if he got the job, he mentioned Georgia Tech's Buster Faulkner and Kentucky's Brad White as the offensive and defensive coordinators. Check.
"He had a list of names, and he probably hit on 70 percent of those names just in staffing,'' Stricklin said.
While Sumrall has done his part, the UAA helped before he got here by revamping the organization, most notably adding longtime NFL executive Dave Caldwell as the program's general manager/associate athletic director.
Stricklin has seen a positive impact.
"I think the combination of Dave Caldwell and Jon together has created a really good division of labor where Jon has been able to focus on being the face of the program and coaching, and hasn't had to worry about a lot of the other stuff and things that Dave [has] taken off his plate related to player contracts and that kind of thing,'' Stricklin said. "Hopefully, we've created a structure that has allowed him to be more successful."
Sumrall remains undefeated as Florida's coach, and he has been winning by lopsided scores for the past six months. The Gators have a long summer before they play their first game under their new coach.
Stricklin is optimistic but rooted in reality.
"We haven't played a down yet, so who knows,'' he said. "It can change in a hurry. We're not celebrating anything just yet."
Sumrall has spent six months building belief. Beginning in September, he'll have the chance to turn belief into results the way Golden did.
