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Florida coach Jon Sumrall reveals early career struggles, living in slums of San Diego and 'carrying a glock'

Florida Gators head coach Jon Sumrall opened up about accepting lousy pay and dangerous living conditions to get his start in college football coaching.

Published May 22, 2026, 12:05 AM
Updated May 22, 2026, 12:19 AM3.4K
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Florida coach Jon Sumrall reveals early career struggles, living in slums of San Diego and 'carrying a glock'

Florida Gators head football coach Jon Sumrall has a reputation for being a bit of a psycho.

I mean that in the most endearing way possible, but there are several examples of the first-year Gators head coach saying and doing things that would make most non-football guys (and even some avid followers of the sport) cock their heads to the side in amazement.

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall watching game against Northwestern Wildcats at Yulman Stadium

Tulane Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall watches the game against Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Yulman Stadium. (Stephen Lew/Imagn Images)

There was the time he said he skipped his anniversary trip to Italy with his wife so he could study a few extra hours of film a day during spring break.

Or when he recently said that he would jump off the top of Ben Hill Griffin Stadium if the Gators failed to make a bowl game in his first year (honestly, very relatable).

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Hell, this is the same guy who hired an ex-Special Forces infantryman who was once caught on camera on the sidelines bleeding from his forehead to run his strength and conditioning program, and Sumrall will even occasionally lift with him.

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall celebrating with family and players on football field

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall celebrates with his family and players after an NCAA college football game against Charlotte in New Orleans on Nov. 29, 2025. (Matthew Hinton/AP)

All that is to say, Sumrall is a nut and a football guy through and through, so it makes sense why, in a recent sit-down interview with Adam Breneman, the Florida coach revealed that he put up with lousy pay and downright dangerous living conditions just to get his foot in the door in the coaching world.

Jon Sumrall? More like Jon Guns-For-All, am I right?

But seriously, folks, many people view a position like a college football coach as a cushy job where you make millions of dollars and have a buyout that could put your great-grandkids through Harvard, but that doesn't factor in just how hard these guys work to even make it that far.

Sumrall's story isn't unique, either.

Plenty of famous coaches have told stories in the past about how they agreed to be an assistant coach for free or for a stipend of just a couple hundred dollars a month, though the Glock is an interesting wrinkle.

Seriously, I wouldn't mess with Sumrall unarmed, let alone if he has a piece strapped to his waist, so he must have been living in some absolute squalor in Southern California.

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Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall watching players on the sideline during a football game

Tulane head coach Jon Sumrall watches his players before an NCAA college football game against Charlotte in New Orleans on Nov. 29, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthew Hinton)

Sumrall may be making close to $8 million now that he's the head coach of the Gators, but he has certainly earned that payday through his years of personal sacrifice.

I believe him when he says he didn't get into this profession for the money, because I couldn't imagine this man doing anything other than being a football coach.

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He was born for it, and, with some hard work and questionable living conditions, he achieved his dream.

Just don't sneak up on him in a dark alley.

Austin Perry is a writer for OutKick.

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