Sumrall played at Kentucky in the early 2000s.
The Kentucky Wildcats do have a big-time win on the road over Ole Miss, but aside from that, this season has been a wash.
They have looked awful against bad teams and haven’t played that great against good teams, although that does appear to be the only time this team has some semblance of competence.
The expectations entering the season were high, and that doesn’t help Mark Stoops either. Stoops did turn around the program, so there should be something positive that fans remember when they think of his tenure.
However, it has become increasingly clear that he isn’t going to be able to take them to that next level. That’s where Jon Sumrall could help.
Sumrall, a former Wildcat coach and player, has the Tulane Green Wave rolling in the American Athletic Conference. Paul Finebaum, an SEC savant, mentioned that he could be on the list of potential head coaches for the Wildcats if Stoops doesn’t return for another season. He talked about it on The Matt Barrie Show.
“I’ve heard Sumrall’s name privately mentioned for two different SEC jobs, who are not open at the moment. That’s how hot he is about to become. I’m really glad you brought him up. There are literally two schools right now, if they made a change, he would be first on their list. That’s how well-received and highly respected he is,” Finebaum said.
He didn’t wait long to spill the beans, either.
“And for those who don’t know Sumrall’s history, he played at Kentucky, if that kinda gives away one of my answers,” he continued. “He’s worked in the state of Alabama not that far from a school in Lee County, Alabama. I’ll make it easy for those of you watching from far and away, Kentucky is struggling badly, even though Mark Stoops seemingly is in good shape there, but that could change. There’s connections to people at Auburn who like Sumrall as well.”
There’s no doubt that Sumrall could make a good fit, but there’s an order of operations here. The Cats would have to make one significant move before the next, and the former hasn’t happened quite yet. Stoops isn’t getting fired, but there could be a chance he retires. It’s unlikely any big-name programs will come after him, so it’s hard to see him at another school next year.
Will be interesting to see how the offseason plays out.