Report: Tulane hires Troy's Jon Sumrall as next head football coach

Tulane has their next head coach after Willie Fritz departed for the Houston Cougars last weekend.

The Green Wave have decided to hire Troy’s Jon Sumrall as their next leader, according to Sun Belt broadcaster Noah Frary. After rebuilding the Trojans into a formidable team, Sumrall is taking on the challenge of Tulane next.

“SOURCES: Jon Sumrall to Tulane is a done deal,” Sun Belt broadcaster Noah Frary posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “He’ll depart after going 23-4 & winning 2 Sun Belt Championships in 2 seasons at Troy.”

It’s a homecoming of sorts for Sumrall. He was on Tulane’s coaching staff from 2012-2014, serving as their co-defensive coordinator at the time. Additionally, he coached the Green Wave’s defensive line from 2012 to 2013, and then their linebackers in 2014.

Additionally, Sumrall brings a wealth of experience in the SEC to Tulane, as he was a player for the Kentucky Wildcats, and he coached at his alma mater from 2019-2021, with a stop at Ole Miss in 2018 mixed in as well.

Since taking over the Trojans in 2022, there’s been immense success achieved by Sumrall. Troy has gone 23-4 under his guidance, winning the Sun Belt in both of his seasons at the helm.

Moving on to Tulane, it’s a huge loss for Troy to see Jon Sumrall go, but the exciting coach has a bright future, and he’ll look to continue to cultivate that with the Green Wave in 2024.

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Moreover, Jon Sumrall will be looking to continue the success of his predecessor in Willie Fritz at Tulane. Prior to taking the job with Houston, Fritz had been the head coach at Tulane since 2016, in the process of building the Green Wave into a Group of Five power.

That included winning the AAC and the Cotton Bowl last season, before playing for the AAC Championship again this season. During that time, Houston saw him first-hand as AAC rivals, with Fritz going 3-4 against Houston.

During his time with the Green Wave, Willie Fritz took Tulane to five bowl games, including this season. The program has gone to 16 bowl games all time. The only time the program went to three bowls in a row was under Fritz and he won the first major bowl for Tulane since the 1934 Sugar Bowl last season.

Willie Fritz ended his time at Tulane with a record of 54-47. That’s second all-time in wins for a Tulane head coach, only behind Clark Shaughnessy who last coached with the team in 1926. His winning percentage is the best of any coach after 1951.