Florida
Florida AD receives major backlash amid Jon Sumrall news
The finish line is right around the corner for the sweepstakes to land Lane Kiffin.
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Florida dropped out of the marathon early. Reports surfaced on Friday that Kiffin pulled out of consideration for the Gators job. He’s set to choose between LSU and Ole Miss on Saturday.
Kiffin had been Florida’s top target after Billy Napier was fired on Oct. 19. However, communication broke down between Kiffin and the Gators in recent days.
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Florida has a couple of backup options for Kiffin. Georgia Tech head coach Brent Key is someone to keep an eye on.
On Saturday, the big name for Florida is Jon Sumrall. The Tulane head coach had been linked to Auburn for weeks, but he appears to be out of consideration for the job with the Tigers.
Multiple reports indicate that Sumrall is the top option for Florida.
Sumrall has gone 41-11 during his stints at Troy and Tulane. His resume is similar to that of Napier when Florida hired him in 2021 after going 40-12 at Louisiana.
Florida fans on social media appeared upset with athletic director Scott Stricklin for fumbling the bag on Kiffin and then considering hiring a Group of 5 coach as Napier’s replacement. Some want Stricklin to be fired before he can hire Sumrall.
“Good morning, Gator Nation It is a great day to fire Scott Stricklin,” wrote a fan.
“Scott Stricklin is 1-for-7 on coaching hires. $31M+ wasted on buyouts. Elite coaches don’t want the job. Time for a change,” argued a fan.
“Scott Striklin is the Billy Napier of athletic directors,” posted another.
“If Scott Stricklin had any sense, Lincoln Riley would be headed to Florida, not Jon Sumrall. Unfortunately, it appears he paid Billy Napier $21 million to leave so he could hire Billy Napier 2.0. The Gators continue to be unserious about football,” argued a poster.
“We don’t want Jon Sumrall as our Head Coach, nor Scott Stricklin as our AD!” suggested a fan.
“So how can we get Scott Stricklin fired if majority think he sucks at his job and ruining the football program? We would have been great again with Kiffin. If he goes after Sumrall he should be fired on the spot,” wrote another.
It’ll be interesting to see if Florida continues to go after Stricklin amid the backlash. Texas A&M had a similar situation with Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops in 2023 before the Aggies hired Mike Elko away from Duke.
For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
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