Lane Kiffin Sees SEC Future for Tulane Coach Jon Sumrall Ahead of Ole Miss Matchup
OXFORD, Miss. — As Ole Miss gears up for a Saturday showdown with Tulane, plenty of attention is being paid to the Rebels’ opponent — and to the man leading the Green Wave. Head coach Jon Sumrall is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in college football, and none other than Lane Kiffin sees an SEC future for him.
When asked about Sumrall during Wednesday’s SEC Coaches Teleconference, Kiffin didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts.
“It’s funny you bring that up,” Kiffin said.
“I told my staff yesterday, I said, ‘I feel like I’m going to be in head coaches meetings in the conference’ — I think our first one is in January — ‘with Coach Sumrall.’ So, it’s funny you bring that up.”
Lane Kiffin on Jon Sumrall
Sumrall, a former Kentucky linebacker, knows the SEC well. His coaching stops include a stint at his alma mater and a season in Oxford as inside linebackers coach. Since then, he’s steadily climbed the ladder, gaining respect for his ability to develop players and win at each stop along the way, including as a head coach at Troy.
His name has already surfaced for potential SEC openings. When Mark Stoops briefly popped up in connection to the Texas A&M job last year, some Kentucky insiders floated Sumrall as a possible replacement. That move didn’t happen, but the speculation underscored just how highly regarded Sumrall has become across the Power Four landscape.
For now, the Green Wave head coach is focused on the task at hand: trying to hand No. 13 Ole Miss its first loss of the season. But with each win, Sumrall’s profile rises — and the talk of him leading an SEC program only grows louder.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
