Tulane Green Wave Retain Jon Sumrall for Strong Foundation in Ruthless Era
The Tulane Green Wave announced a critical extension for head coach Jon Sumrall to stabilize the team ahead of traversing the challenges of today's college football landscape.
This move was crucial for Tulane football following the loss of starting quarterback Darian Mensah to the transfer portal.
For a program to compete and succeed in this era, it starts with the foundation of a head coach with a culture, plan, and commitment to win. The Green Wave have that trifecta in spades with Sumrall.
Just one week had passed since Sumrall's announcement as the team's new head coach this time last year. Sumrall's first task was to stop attrition by having programs poach players actively on Tulane's roster. The future quarterback was still unknown.
However, a sense of calm and confidence immediately permeated his introductory press conference and the actions that quickly followed.
Bolstered by player leadership of public commitments to staying, like linebacker Tyler Grubbs, Sumrall calmed waters and made an immediate mark on the program.
Despite losing to the Army Black Knights in the conference championship game, Tulane ends the regular season with their biggest win yet in the retention of Sumrall.
National signing day was just last week, when the Green Wave brought in a star-studded class. It's challenging to imagine that incoming class remains the same with no answer at head coach.
The transfer portal opened on Monday, Dec. 9, and the team immediately felt its effects in the most important role on the field. They have the leadership to recruit and rebuild in response.
The team's starting center and left tackle came from the portal. Other notable offensive additions included receivers Mario Williams and Shazz Preston. While he lost the role to Mensah, Ty Thompson has been valuable on the sidelines and in specialty packages.
The second portal window added Grubbs' counterpart, Sam Howard. Both of Tulane's starting cornerbacks, Micah Robinson and Johnathan Edwards, followed. Senior Bowl-bound Caleb Ransaw followed Sumrall in the portal, as did safety Jack Tchienchou and defensive lineman Deshaun Batiste.
Importantly, Sumrall was able to keep players that entered the portal amidst the unknown, like Alex Bauman. The only enduring advice in today's college football era is to adapt or get left behind.
The size of that gap hinges on the right coach, players, and culture. Tulane doesn't have to spend the offseason learning a new philosophy.
Instead, they can build on their foundational core values of attitude, toughness, discipline, and love. Sumrall demonstrates all these factors both on and off the field. The core of the team has bought into his messaging and motivation.
Tulane began this season with a roster that included over 50 new players, two defensive starters from the previous season, and a quarterback who had never played a single college football game and had only begun competing for the starting position with two weeks remaining in training camp.
They started off 1-2 and won eight straight games. One team ultimately loses the conference championship. The Green Wave were still one of eighteen teams who had the rare chance to get there.
There's a lot of promise remaining in their upcoming Gasparilla Bowl matchup against the Florida Gators. It's the first SEC opponent for Tulane in a bowl game since they left the conference.
Rather than face reminders of the rainy Military Bowl loss or a cold atmosphere reminiscent of the championship game, the team will spend a week preparing in Tampa, Fl. with a lot to play for under their head coach.
The love of his team, evident in his commitment to return, colored Sumrall's emotional press conference Sunday afternoon that preceded his extension.
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