SerpApi.Org
Jon Sumrall has yet to coach a game at Florida, but he certainly knows how to win a press conference.
The former Troy and Tulane head coach has given us quite a few eyebrow-raising quotes since the Gators hired him in November, including when he said earlier this offseason that he said he would be "on top of the stadium getting ready to do something stupid" if his team doesn't reach a bowl game this fall.
Sumrall's debut press conference at SEC Media Days on Wednesday was no different, and the 44-year-old first-year coach stole the show in Tampa. Here are some of the best quotes from Sumrall's media day press conference.
On trading jabs with Georgia coach Kirby Smart at Steve Spurrier Awards
"Yeah, it's a great rivalry. I think it's one of the best rivalries in college football. A lot of respect for Kirby and the job he's done over the years. Been very consistent. That was a fun event. I think it was a night we were all able to let our guard down and have a little fun. Kirby and I caught up before the event.
"Look, it was all good-natured. What would you expect at the Coach Spurrier Award show, other than a lot of jabs being thrown? Right? Like it wouldn't be his award show if it wasn't a lot of jabs. No, fun event and really respect what they've done, Kirby and his staff."
On Florida's biggest weakness in the years before his arrival
"So I want everybody in our building to have an appreciation for the privileges that we're afforded each and every day. When I interviewed for this job, one of the questions the committee had for me was, 'Coach, what do you view as our negatives at the University of Florida?' I said, the biggest one I see is we haven't been winning enough.
"But like the places I've coached, look, I've got a full-time nutritionist now. I didn't have that at Troy. Got a staff of nutritionists. Like there are so many great resources we have."
On his initial impressions of Florida's offensive line in the spring
"I've been really pleased with the growth of our offensive line this summer, in particular the weight room. That was probably my greatest disappointment when I took the job and started to watch our team work in January and February, just the strength of our O-line was underwhelming for me; not where I felt like it needed to be."
On playing Texas three years in a row, new SEC scheduling
"But it is new and unique to be playing Texas a third year in a row. It's not something that's historically been a part of Florida's past or Texas' past. Who would've thought ten years ago that Florida was playing Tennessee for the third year in a row and not playing Tennessee? Like, we don't play Tennessee this year. That's really kind of weird."
On being recognized as a former Kentucky player
"Probably my finest memory of this summer when I was out on vacation with my family, my twins just turned 13, and me and my wife and my twins are in the Bahamas and walking through this one area of the resort. One guy stops and he goes, are you Jon Sumrall? I said, 'That's my brother.' And he goes, 'No, it's you.' Yeah, you're right, it's me. What's up? He goes, dude, I loved watching you play at University of Kentucky. I said, you and two other people. I wasn't that good of a player. I tripped a lot of people in 2004. Led our team in trips. But not very often do I get recognized for being a college football player."
On the last time he whined about something
"Probably my kids whining and complaining, my four kids at home. Team rule in our team is no whining, no complaining, no excuses. I have the same rule at my house. I cannot get it done at home. My two 13-year-olds, a 10-year-old, a seven-year-old, golly. I whine and complain about that. About middle of the summer vacation, I usually look at my wife, and I'm like, 'Why are they whining so much?' But no, I don't whine and complain a whole lot, man. Life is pretty good."
On discussions with Lane Kiffin during coaching search
"I would say no two decisions are alike. Lane and I are friends, and we talked several times through the process of October-November about what it was looking like for both of our schedules of how things were going to unfold. Lane and I talked as we were going through. He was like, you and I are going through the same thing in November. I was like, No, Lane, we're not. If you leave, you're leaving an SEC school to go to another SEC school. It's a little different. I'm leaving Tulane."
On facing Pete Golding twice in 2025
(Warning: The following quote contains NSFW language)
"Watching him, those teams to me, look, you know, we played them the first time at Tulane and they beat the s*** out of us. We played them the second time, different head coach, still beat the s*** out of us. So didn't matter who the head coach was. They were still pretty good. So I think sometimes people forget it's a player-driven game. Pete will do a great job with his team, and a lot of respect for Pete."
On a reporter's phone going off during the press conference
"And you would be kicked out of our team meeting, I swear. Like you're lucky I'm not going to throw this podium right now. That drives me crazy. I would say who is that, but I'm not going to embarrass anybody."
Contact/Follow @College_Wire on X and @College_Wires on Threads. Like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of college sports news, notes, and opinions.
This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: The best quotes from Florida coach Jon Sumrall at SEC Media Days
