by Caleb Thomas
Troy head football coach Jon Sumrall will be leaving Troy for the same position at Tulane, sources announced Friday. Sumrall follows former Troy defensive coordinator Shiel Wood to New Orleans, Louisiana, after Wood departed for Tulane in February 2023.
Sumrall’s contract at Tulane is set for six years. The deal will make him one of the highest paid Group of Five coaches, according to Pete Thamel.
Sumrall – who has been a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award in both 2022 and 2023 – was on Mark Stoops’ staff at Kentucky before coming to Troy as head coach. He has a history with Tulane after spending three seasons there from 2012-2014 as a defensive line and then linebackers coach.
The Green Wave, like Troy, have gone 23-4 in the last two seasons. They also won a New Year’s Six bowl against USC last year. Head coach Willie Fritz left for the opening at Houston less than a week ago.
In two seasons leading Troy, Sumrall made a major impact. The 2022 Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year led the Trojans to a 23-4 record and two Sun Belt Championships in his two seasons at the helm.
2022 saw the Trojans bounce back from a 5-7 record to go 12-2 and win the Cure Bowl against UTSA. After a heartbreaking early-season loss to Appalachian State, Sumrall rallied the team to an 11-game win streak and a No. 19 ranking in the College Football Playoff poll to end the season.
Even after losing Wood and 2022 Sun Belt Defensive player of the year Carlton Martial, Sumrall reloaded and helped Troy win another conference championship in 2023. The Trojans recovered from a 1-2 start to get revenge on App State, winning 49-23 in the title game last weekend.
The Trojans earned a Birmingham Bowl berth and are set to play ACC opponent Duke in what’s now a battle between two teams that lost head coaches. The Blue Devils lost Mike Elko to Texas A&M but have since hired former Penn State defensive coordinator Manny Diaz.
The Trojans will turn their attention to the Birmingham Bowl. The bowl is set for Dec. 23 at 11 a.m. at Protective Stadium.
