Jon Sumrall reveals plan to have Urban Meyer speak to new Florida coaching staff

Jon Sumrall hasn’t shied away from embracing Florida’s history. Former Florida head coaches Urban Meyer and Steve Spurrier each attended Sumrall’s introductory press conference, and Sumrall has repeatedly discussed his relationship with Meyer.

Sumrall even appeared on Meyer’s podcast, The Triple Option, in February. Evidently, Sumrall plans on having Meyer return the favor. On Tuesday, the first-year Gators head coach revealed he’s having Meyer speak with his staff.

“Urban is going to spend some time with our coaching staff; just the coaches and Urban in our staff room,” Sumrall said. “I’m going to give him a half-hour-ish window, or whatever I got on the schedule for his day, to just address our staff about what it means to be a Florida Gator and what it means to represent this place and do it at high level and pursue championships.

“I think he’s got a great eye for excellence in play style. And, he and I talked some in January about some of the teams in the CFP, about what makes teams able to maximize what they can become. I’m excited about hearing all of them talk.”

Meyer achieved extreme success in his brief six-year span as Florida’s head coach. He led the program to a 65-15 overall record and a 36-12 mark in conference play.

Under Meyer, Florida won the 2006 and 2008 national championships, along with conference titles. Florida has captured neither title since. Sumrall is hungry to break the Gators’ drought, but it won’t be easy.

Florida lost 30 players to the transfer portal this offseason. In total, the Gators are returning 66% of their production from last season. Nonetheless, Jon Sumrall believes he can return Florida to its former heights. After all, he previously admitted he sees lots of similarities between himself and Urban Meyer.

“I think there’s some wiring that maybe how they did things here that I have a great deal of respect for, because it’s how we’ve done things and how I know to do things,” Sumrall said. “You build through the weight room, you build through the offseason program.

“… We talked about how you build a football team. And that’s something I’m very passionate about. I am passionate about the other components to our world now. The portal does matter to me. Rev share and NIL, I’m for it. I love that our players get paid. But I also think your team, how you build that team and help individuals grow and develop from wherever they come to you at, whatever process of their development they’re at. … I felt like I was talking to myself a little bit sometimes.”