Tulane Football Coach’s Strong Connections Helped Recruit Quarterbacks
Tulane Green Wave football head coach Jon Sumrall has a valuable ability to build lasting relationships among the college football world.
His connections throughout his coaching career helped Tulane football land some of the competing quarterbacks on the roster.
Kadin Semonza left the Ball State Cardinals after his head coach, Mike Neu, was fired. Neu was formerly the quarterbacks coach for the Green Wave when Sumrall was the team’s co-defensive coordinator.
Semonza referenced that connection in not just his decision to come to Tulane, but also his confidence that he’ll thrive in the system.
When Sumrall was on staff with the Ole Miss Rebels, he got a call from Shaw High School head coach Hank Tierney, who was then over at Ponchatoula with TJ Finley as his quarterback.
“Hank's always been more of an option-type attack in his past, and I'll never forget, Hank called me and said, 'Coach, I've got this quarterback who's a passer,” Sumrall said. “I have to figure out how to develop the pass game.' So, Hank came and spent a couple of days in Oxford with us when I was there. I remember TJ coming out. TJ really has arm talent. He's got a big arm and can throw it a mile. He's got a ton of experience. There's no substitute for the amount of football he's played.”
While Donovan Leary didn’t have a coaching staff tie, he immediately spoke of his connection with both Sumrall and offensive coordinator Joe Craddock and felt that they were genuine in the opportunity to compete for the starting role here.
It’s worth remembering that he helped Kai Horton land over with the Washington Huskies due to a relationship there with a new offensive coach.
Though Sumrall didn’t go with Ty Thompson, Thompson clearly felt comfortable enough to return back and take on a new position with a strong start to his new role at tight end.
Those types of actions stick in recruits’ minds and prospects in the transfer portal when coaches go out of their way to help former players and foster an environment that they want to return to.
He didn’t recruit Horton, yet he helped him anyway. Nor did he recruit over Darian Mensah, who he ultimately gave the starting shot to.
When you bolster those actions with the long-term connections built that helped him land Mensah’s replacement, it shows the values that make players want to come join the Green Wave for the 2025 college football season.
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Maddy Hudak is the deputy editor for Tulane on Sports Illustrated and the radio sideline reporter for their football team. Maddy is an alumnus of Tulane University, and graduated in 2016 with a degree in psychology. She went on to obtain a Master of Legal Studies while working as a research coordinator at the VA Hospital, and in jury consulting. During this time, Maddy began covering the New Orleans Saints with SB Nation, and USA Today. She moved to New Orleans in 2021 to pursue a career in sports and became Tulane's sideline reporter that season. She enters her fourth year with the team now covering the program on Sports Illustrated, and will use insights from features and interviews in the live radio broadcast. You can follow her on X at @MaddyHudak_94, or if you have any questions or comments, she can be reached via email at maddy.hudak1@gmail.com