As a first-year head coach, the SEC coaching hierarchy may not be so kind to you when it comes to rankings.
With fall camp ramping up and the 2026 college football season just weeks away, CBS Sports ranked the 16 head coaches in the SEC based on career accomplishments, recent results, program trajectory, and the difficulty of each head coaching job.
First-year head coach Jon Sumrall was a fan favorite at SEC media days in Tampa, so where does he stack up against his peers?
Out of 16 head coaches, Sumrall ranks No. 10 and is ranked the highest among first-time SEC head coaches. It is no surprise that he has been well-loved and well-received as a first-year SEC coach this offseason.
Sumrall brings the resume and has all the characteristics to provide
what is needed to rebuild the Florida Gators program, and what it has lacked for the last few years.
In Sumrall's first offseason with the program, he hit the recruiting cycle hard as well as the transfer portal, landing key additions, but not only did he bring talent to the Swamp, he brought respectable coordinators in Buster Faulkner and Brad White.
If Sumrall's resume tracks, the Gators could easily rise back to prominence.
CBS Sports SEC coach rankings
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Steve Sarkisian, Texas
- Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
- Lane Kiffin, LSU
- Mike Elko, Texas A&M
- Josh Heupel, Tennessee
- Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
- Brent Venables, Oklahoma
- Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
- Jon Sumrall, Florida
- Shane Beamer, South Carolina
- Alex Golesh, Auburn
- Pete Golding, Ole Miss
- Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas
- Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
- Will Stein, Kentucky
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This article originally appeared on Gators Wire: Where Jon Sumrall ranks in latest SEC coaching rankings
