New Head Coaches

JON SUMRALL

FOOTBALL COACH

One of the most respected recruiters in the country, Jon Sumrall was named Troy’s football head coach on December 2, 2021. Sumrall returns to Troy after spending three seasons (2015-17) as the assistant head coach on Neal Brown’s staff.

Recently promoted to co-defensive coordinator on Mark Stoops’ staff at Kentucky, Sumrall coached the Wildcats’ inside linebackers for the squad that finished the season with a 10-3 record and ranked as high as No. 22 in the country. Kentucky finished second in the SEC East, marking the first time since the league split into divisions in 1992 that UK ended the season in sole possession of second place in the East. The Wildcats allowed 17 or fewer points in seven of its 12 games in 2021 and held No. 1 Georgia to its second-lowest offensive output of the season.

Kentucky finished with the nation’s No. 25 defense in addition to ranking third in fourth-down defense, 20th in rushing defense and 13th in defensive touchdowns.

During his tenure at Troy, Sumrall helped lead the Trojans to a pair of bowl victories, the school’s first since 2010, the 2017 Sun Belt Conference title, and a stunning victory at LSU. The Trojans won a school-record 11 games in 2017, and the Troy defense ranked first in the nation in red zone defense (.614), second in tackles for loss per game (8.6), seventh in rushing defense (105.3), 11th in scoring defense and 24th in total defense per game (336.6).

In his first season at Troy, the Trojans finished with the second-best turnaround nationally in opponent 3rd-down percentage (14.62 percent), the fourth-best turnaround in yards per play allowed (-1.13), the fifth-best improvement in tackles for loss per game (2.59) and 16th-best improvement in total defense (-62.7).

Troy held opponents to 391.2 yards per game, an improvement of 62.8 yards from the previous season and under 400 yards for the first time since the 2008 season. The Trojans scored five defensive touchdowns, the third-most in the country and most by a Troy team since 2004.

Sumrall departed Troy for Ole Miss before the 2018 season and returned to his alma mater in Lexington, Kentucky the following year.

Sumrall oversaw an effective four-man rotation at the middle and weakside linebacker positions in his first season at Kentucky. UK’s defense helped keep every opponent at or below 30 points, the first time the Wildcats have done that since 1979. UK ended the season with a thrilling win over Virginia Tech in the Belk Bowl, UK’s fourth straight bowl appearance.

Sumrall’s starting linebackers, Jamin Davis and DeAndre Square, were two of the top three tacklers in 2020, combining for 162 total tackles. Davis made a significant impact under Sumrall’s tutelage, making 144 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, five interceptions, three pass break ups, three quarterback hurries, one block, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble. He ranked fourth in the SEC in tackles per game (10.2) and was first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus and second team All-SEC by Phil Steele. Davis was a first-round draft pick by the Washington Football Team in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Kentucky capped the most unusual of seasons with an impressive victory in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, the program’s third consecutive bowl victory, tying the school record set from 2006-08. The 23-21 victory over No. 24 NC State also marked the second win over a ranked team in the 2020 season. UK also defeated No. 18 Tennessee.

Sumrall was a three-year letterwinner at middle linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04. He started every game in 2004, leading the Wildcats with 72 tackles. He also excelled off the field as he was named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll and was selected to the Frank G. Ham Society of Character. After earning his degree in finance in 2005, Sumrall served as a graduate assistant for the Wildcats during the 2005 and 2006 seasons under head coach Rich Brooks.

He left Kentucky in 2007 and spent five seasons under head coach Ron Caragher in various positions at San Diego, including defensive coordinator during his final two seasons. He served as the defensive line coach, recruiting coordinator and camp coordinator for the first three years before assuming the defensive coordinator and linebackers coaching role in 2010. During his final season with the Toreros, Sumrall was promoted to assistant head coach.

In 2011, the Toreros ranked 15th nationally in run defense (113.0), 13th in pass efficiency defense, fourth in sacks (3.64), and 16th in third-down defense (32.2 percent).

The Huntsville, Alabama native was a two-time all-state performer and a four-year letter winner at Grissom High School.

He is married to the former Ginny Nixon, also of Huntsville, and the couple has four children, Sam, Sadie, Stella and Selah.