Sporting News ranks Jon Sumrall among CFB's fastest-rising coaches

Florida‘s new head coach, Jon Sumrall, continues to be a central figure in college football discourse. The Sporting News ranked the former Sun Belt Coach of the Year No. 36 among all 138 FBS head coaches entering the 2026 season.

Sumrall climbed 30 spots from his previous rank of No. 66. With a spot in the top 40, he ranked ahead of other notable coaches, including South Carolina’s Shane Beamer and Auburn’s Alex Golesh, and just behind Ole Miss’ Pete Golding and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea, showing a rising tide of national confidence in the Gators‘ top man.

Sumrall arrives in Gainesville after successful campaigns at both Troy and Tulane. The Texarkansas, Texas, native compiled a career record of 43-12 across four seasons leading those programs. Sporting News’ Bill Bender views him as one of the top emerging coaches in the nation despite having never coached a Power Four game.

At Troy, Sumrall led the Trojans to consecutive Sun Belt titles before elevating the team at Tulane. It is this sort of turnaround effort that has many Florida fans enthusiastic about his ability to rebuild a once-proud program. The challenge now becomes proving he can do it in the SEC. A successful season in 2026 could see Sumrall’s star and national profile rise even higher.

1. Alex Golesh, Auburn (92)49. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas (84)48. Brent Brennan, Arizona (75)47. Jake Dickert, Wake Forest (63)46. Shane Beamer, South Carolina (40)45. Lance Leipold, Kansas (38)44. Tony Elliott, Virginia (77)43. David Braun, Northwestern (59)42. Matt Rhule, Nebraska (36)41. Dan Mullen, UNLV (70)40. Pat Narduzzi, Pitt (37)39. Spencer Danielson, Boise State (33)38. Dave Doeren, NC State (38)37. Luke Fickell, Wisconsin (29)36. Jon Sumrall, Florida (66)35. Mike Norvell, Florida State (28)34. Eric Morris, Oklahoma State (34)33. Pete Golding, Ole Miss (NR)32. Brent Key, Georgia Tech (48)31. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (60)30. Kenny Dillingham, Arizona State (22)29. P.J. Fleck, Minnesota (32)38. Jedd Fisch, Washington (28)27. Willie Fritz, Houston (56)26. Manny Diaz, Duke (50)

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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Florida football head coach Jon Sumrall jumps in Sporting News ranking