New Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall has reminded players why they should keep their phones on silent during team meetings.
It’s a pet peeve for the coach. One reporter learned the hard way during SEC Media Days in Tampa Bay on Wednesday.
Jon Sumrall showcases intensity with phone incident
“You’d be kicked out of our team meeting,” Sumrall said when a reporter’s phone buzzed. “You’re lucky I’m not gonna throw this freakin’ podium.”
Watching Florida’s tape over its past five seasons may have Sumrall hurling other things. During this span, the Gators posted a 29-34 record.
Sumrall made it clear he expects that to change while speaking to a small gathering of reporters before talking on the big stage.
“If we don’t improve, we’re going to get our a— beat,” Sumrall said before Florida sports information director Scott Burns ended the session, via On3’s Andy Staples.
Not everyone may approve of the way Sumrall is delivering his messages, but the Gators need to hear them. Listening to his advice could produce results, just like it did at the coach’s previous stops. The 44-year-old went 43-12 in four seasons with the Tulane Green Wave and the Troy Trojans. Last season, he led Tulane to the College Football Playoff.
Sumrall’s passion is already striking a chord with some Florida players. Running back Jadan Baugh shared it’s one reason he stayed with the Gators instead of transferring. The coach flew to the house of the RB’s grandmother in December, days after his father’s funeral.
“It meant everything to me,” Baugh recently told On3’s Pete Nakos (h/t Tyler Forness of A to Z Sports). “For somebody to go through something like that and have to deal with that, it can put people in a dark place. But for him to bring his family and himself to my grandmother’s house on Christmas Eve, I felt like that meant so much to me because it showed that he cared. Like he told me, his dad would want him to be here as well. That just meant a lot to me.”
Convincing Baugh (1,170 yards on 220 carries in 2025, No. 3 in SEC) to stay was Sumrall’s first big win. If he racks up more victories on the field, Florida fans will grow to love his fervor, even if it sometimes leaves them wondering if he should lay off caffeine.
