Now that we have expressed our concerns about Jon Sumrall, the only option for Florida Gator fans is to look ahead to the future. Among the concerns Florida fans had was Sumrall's general lack of experience at a Power Four level as a coach.
But at his opening press conference, Sumrall seems aware of the challenges ahead of him and is aware of the expectations that face him.
Jon Sumrall is a winner
During his opening remarks, Sumrall highlighted part of what attracted him to Gainesville, especially when he had other SEC schools (notably Auburn) also trying to pursue him.
Sumrall claims he knows what Gator fans expect and has plans to raise to that level:
"I love, love, your passion and your enthusiasm. 18 straight sellouts here in The Swamp. That streak's not going to end anytime soon. We build upon that.
But that passion and enthusiasm, the fire, that's part of what attracted me here, because I'm wired the same way. The standard here is championships.
That's why I came. I'm built for this job. I was made for this job.
Winners win. I'm a winner. We're gonna win."
We will say this for Sumrall despite all the data that paints a picture of similarities to Billy Napier:
One of our chief complaints about Napier is that he never actually seemed invested in trying to win. His press conferences felt more like an ASMR sleep track than a football coach built for the SEC.
Tactics aside, we don't have that same concern regarding Sumrall. Based on the clips we have seen from him during his days at Tulane and Troy, you can tell he has that linebacker edge to him compared to the cerebral QB mentality Napier had.
Jon Sumrall is not Lane Kiffin, and all that will matter at the end of the day are wins and losses on the field. But it is refreshing to have a quote who isn't scared of the standard that has been placed in front of him and actually makes fans want to run through a brick wall for him.