NEW ORLEANS — Tulane and coach Jon Sumrall have agreed on a contract extension, athletic director David Harris announced Monday.
“The landscape of college athletics is constantly evolving, and Jon’s vision helps to position us to succeed in this rapidly changing environment,” said Harris, who did not divulge details about the length or value of the extension.
Sumrall already was under contract through the 2029 season at an annual salary approaching $3 million. But Harris’ emphasis in his announcement on the evolving nature of college football appeared to reflect the coach’s desire to see more resources dedicated to player retention in this era of liberal transfer rules and NIL payments.
Sumrall reportedly was high on the list of candidates for several high-profile openings including at North Carolina and West Virginia.
However, the Tulane coach said Sunday night, while speaking about Tulane’s upcoming Gasparilla Bowl matchup against Florida, that while his agent listens to offers, he had not considered any and was committed to remaining with the Green Wave.
“I’m very happy — other than we’ve lost the last two games,” Sumrall said when asked about being a reported top candidate for other jobs.
Tulane has gone 9-4 in Sumrall’s first season with the Green Wave, which had won eight straight before losing its regular-season finale to Memphis and then falling 35-14 at Army on Friday night in the American Athletic Conference championship game.
The Gasparilla Bowl is scheduled for Dec. 20 in Tampa, Florida.