Tulane QB on Jon Sumrall: 'We're never going to have a coach like this again'

What does new Florida Gators football coach Jon Sumrall mean to the players at Tulane? Following the No. 20 Green Wave’s 34–21 win over No. 24 North Texas in the American Conference championship game on Friday night, quarterback Jake Retzlaff did his best to offer some perspective.

“There’s nobody else in the country we want leading this team right now,” he said.

Retzlaff, a first-year transfer from BYU, delivered a strong performance, finishing 13-of-22 passing for 145 yards, adding 49 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. With the win, Tulane is positioned to make the College Football Playoff, which begins Dec. 19.

When Sumrall accepted the job at Florida last weekend, it was announced he would continue coaching Tulane in the conference title game and beyond. After Friday’s victory, Sumrall thanked Tulane’s administration for allowing it—and then thanked his players: “I’m grateful to them to allow me to do it, too. They could have said, ‘No we don’t want you to coach us because you’re leaving.'”

According to Retzlaff, there was never any doubt about who the players wanted leading them.

“This guy has been unbelievable,” Retzlaff said. “They way he gives it every day, day in and day out, we’re blessed to have him lead us. It’s not like we’re just like, ‘Okay, yeah coach, you can come along for the ride.’

We’re blessed to have this guy out front. To push us. … He has given the program to us. And so we’re just indebted to him to go finish this job and play for a guy like him. It’s not taken lightly on us. He deserves to go coach wherever he wants to coach, because he’s that kind of coach.”

Tulane was the underdog Friday night

Tulane is now 11–2 this year and 20–7 in two seasons under Sumrall. The Wave entered the game Friday as a 1.5-point underdog per BetMGM against a high-scoring North Texas team that led the nation at 46.8 points per game. But after the Mean Green (11–2) scored on their opening drive, Tulane rattled off 31 straight points to seize control.

“A great night for Tulane, Tulane football,” Sumrall said. “Very proud of our players. Just such an amazing week. I told them in the locker room just now, good teams can be coach-led. Great teams have to be player-led. At the start of the year I thought we had some good leaders. I think the depth of our leadership is much improved. And so just excited for these guys. And selfishly, I’m very grateful I get to work two jobs for a little bit longer.”

Jon Sumrall is focused on finishing strong in New Orleans

For Sumrall, finishing what he started at Tulane matters.

“I’ve said it a lot. I think just as important, if not more important than how you start at a place, it’s how you finish,” Sumrall said. “I’m forever indebted to Tulane. I was an assistant coach here over a decade ago. It’s been a complete privilege and honor for me to be the head football coach here. And you know, I think in my introductory press conference two years ago I said, ‘We’re going to win the conference championship. We’re gonna go to the College Football Playoff.’

And I also said, ‘We’re going to win it,’ so we got work to do. Job’s not done.”

To Jon Sumrall and Jake Retzlaff, the moment—and this team—is special.

“We’re never going to have a team like this again,” Retzlaff said. “We’re never going to have a coach like this again. So us finishing the job, with coach, is too important to put words to.”