Tulane’s Vision and Leadership Sold Coach Sumrall on the Tulane Job
New Tulane Green Wave Coach Jon Sumrall addressed the media this week at the American Conference media days in Dallas. In his opening remarks, he cited Tulane's leadership as one of the primary reasons he took the job.
"I’d also like to acknowledge our administration at Tulane University, President Michael Fitz, and Athletic Director David Harris,” Sumrall said. “I would not be at Tulane without their vision and leadership. I'm honored to be the head football coach at Tulane. I'm extremely grateful to serve in the role I have to be in one of the coolest cities in the world at one of the best academic institutions in the United States and playing big time college football."
The Tulane administration’s recent emphasis on athletics is evident in the recent updates to the athletic facilities. In preparation for the 2023 season, the football team’s locker room was given a significant update.
The Wilson Athletic Center is also going through major renovations. Tulane is building an indoor practice facility on Brown Field. While previous administrations at Tulane have expressed interest in these kinds of projects, they are only now being executed.
Coach Sumrall also raved about the two players he brought with him to Dallas for media days, defensive lineman Patrick Jenkins and interior offensive lineman Vincent Murphy, the presumed starting center for the Wave.
“The culture of our football team right now is very impressive,” Sumrall told reporters. “Two of those young men are with me. Patrick Jenkins, who's a New Orleans product, went to John Ehret High School, defensive lineman, big time impact in the Cotton Bowl championship a couple years ago. Pat is a stalwart on our defensive line and has been around our program for a couple years. And then Vincent Murphy, who is a transfer to us from Western Kentucky where he started the last couple years at Center and Guard."
"Vinny I had coached against when I was at Troy and he was at Western Kentucky, came in January," he continued. "It’s really neat to bring two linemen, that fires me up. To bring a returning player and a transfer that got there in January really shows that this landscape of college football that we're all in now, it's constantly changing."
Coach Sumrall's decision to bring an offensive and defensive lineman to media days in his first year is a power move for me. Jenkins and Murphy are excellent examples of where Tulane will be strongest this season: on the line of scrimmage.
While there are many reasons for optimism amongst Tulane fans for the coming season, this is the biggest. The team that wins the line of scrimmage almost always wins the game, and Tulane should have the better offensive and defensive line in every conference game this season.
Coach Sumrall's decision to bring those two players indicates he knows that, and flexes that prowess to the rest of the conference. Jenkins and Murphy not only showcase Tulane's leadership skills, but they also show the power in the trenches.
