Jon Sumrall has only been Florida’s head coach for a few months, but he’s already found a new pet peeve. A photographer’s cell phone went off during his SEC Media Days press conference Wednesday, and the first-year Gators coach did not let it slide.
Sumrall stopped mid-sentence, turned toward the sound, and let the room have it.
“You would have been thrown out of our team meeting,” Sumrall said, visibly annoyed. “You’re lucky I’m not going to throw this freaking podium.”
The comment got a laugh from the reporters in the room. Sumrall didn’t name the photographer, but he made his point clear. The clip from SEC Network’s Twitter account quickly spread, with fans and media alike enjoying the raw honesty.
Sumrall’s Serious Side: The Nine-Game SEC Schedule
But the podium threat wasn’t the only thing on Sumrall’s mind. He also got asked about the possibility of a nine-game SEC schedule. That’s a topic that’s been floating around for a while, and Sumrall made it clear he wasn’t consulted on it.
“I wasn’t in the room when that conversation was had,” Sumrall said. “We’re going to play anybody anywhere anytime. I’m not going to whine and complain about being an SEC head football coach.”
That might sound like coach-speak. But given his track record, it’s probably genuine. Sumrall went 23-4 at Troy with minimal resources. Then he went 20-8 at Tulane after jumping from the Sun Belt to the American Athletic Conference. He’s not someone who’s been handed anything.
Now he’s taking on the SEC. The schedule is brutal. Georgia and Alabama have been the big dogs. Texas A&M and Oklahoma just joined the party. And Florida hasn’t won a national title since 2008. That’s a long time for a program with Florida’s history.
Sumrall’s job is to get the Gators back to that level. He’s not whining about the schedule. He’s not whining about the phone either. He just made sure everybody knew where he stood on both.
And if a phone rings in his team meeting? You already know what’s coming.
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