Pete Golding jokes Jon Sumrall better 'bring his ass to Gainesville' while balancing Florida, Tulane jobs

For the first time in program history, the Tulane Green Wave is headed to the College Football Playoff.

Head coach Jon Sumrall is simultaneously leading Tulane through the Playoff while trying to rebuild the Florida program, as he was announced as its new head coach on Nov. 30. Tulane earned the No. 11 seed in the bracket and will travel to Oxford for a rematch against No. 6 Ole Miss on Dec. 20.

Earlier this season, Tulane was boatraced 45-10 by Lane Kiffin‘s Rebels. Now, however, Kiffin has departed the program for the LSU opening. He will not coach the team in the College Football Playoff, as defensive coordinator Pete Golding was tabbed the man for the job. He was immediately promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach following Kiffin’s departure.

Ahead of the College Football Playoff matchup, Golding spoke highly of his friend Jon Sumrall. He hilarious quipped that Sumrall ‘better bring his ass to Gainesville’ if he didn’t want to lose all of his recruits in that time-frame.

Pete Golding speaks highly of new Florida head coach Jon Sumrall

“Obviously with us defensive guys, there aren’t a lot of us, so we’ve got to stick together,” Pete Golding said. “Jon and I go way back. I recruit Louisiana and obviously he’s been at Tulane. My brother lives in New Orleans so I love getting down there and seeing him. I think the world of him and I’m thinking a lot about him. I was just calling him, and obviously the Selection Show hadn’t come up, so I told him hopefully y’all got to go to Oregon and bring your ass out West.

“But, he had a good indication that he was kinda pushing to get back to Oxford. It’s a little closer, so I was just congratulating him on a heck of a year and also talking about some of the Florida transition. I told him he better bring his ass to Gainesville because he’s gonna be losing all these players over the next two weeks if he’s not down there saving that program. But I was just messing with him and congratulating him.”

In that game earlier this season, Tulane was outgained by Ole Miss 548-282, although it recorded just five fewer first downs. That game also served as Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss‘ coming out party, as he passed for 307 yards and two touchdowns in the win. No matter what team advances to the Quarterfinals of the CFP, it will mark the first CFP win ever for either Jon Sumrall‘s Tulane program or Pete Golding‘s Ole Miss program.