Tulane Football Shakes Up Leadership: Unexpected Promotion Signals Bold New Era

Tulane football’s rise this season has been nothing short of a revelation — climbing from a Group of Five underdog to an American Championship contender and a College Football Playoff participant. But here’s the big question: can a program that’s just tasted the sweet rush of glory hold onto its momentum when its charismatic head coach, Jon Sumrall, bolts for the SEC’s spotlight in Florida? Enter Will Hall, the passing game coordinator with a bumpy past and a chance at redemption, set to take the reins in 2026. Promoting from within feels like Tulane’s masterstroke to keep the recruiting pipeline flowing and the Green Wave rolling despite the coaching carousel. As they gear up for a daunting rematch against Ole Miss — who handed them a brutal loss earlier this year — it’s anyone’s guess whether Tulane can pull off what would be a historic upset, especially with the Rebels facing their own coaching chaos. So, is this the dawn of a new era or just another fleeting flash in the pan? Only time will tell , but I’m on the edge of my seat. LEARN MORE.

With the regular season behind us, Tulane football has officially become one of the stories of this college football season with its run to the American Championship and the College Football Playoff.

As many successful Group of Five teams have learned in the past, attrition is inevitable. When the season comes to an end, Green Wave head coach Jon Sumrall is headed to Florida to try to lead the Gators back to prominence in the SEC. Now, Tulane has officially decided who will replace Sumrall on the sidelines next season.

Will Hall, Tulane’s current passing game coordinator, will be the head coach starting in 2026, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Hall was the offensive coordinator at Tulane in 2019 and 2020 before becoming the head coach at Southern Miss, where he failed to win consistently. The Golden Eagles finished with a 14-30 record in four seasons under Hall, and he was fired after a 1-6 start to the 2024 campaign before returning to Tulane on the offensive staff in 2025.

Promoting someone on staff makes sense for a program like Tulane, as it should help the Green Wave retain some of its recruiting class even after losing its head coach. For a school that recruits much better than a lot of its conference counterparts, that is a very important element of replacing a quality coach like Sumrall.

Before Hall does become the head coach, Tulane will have its full attention on its first-ever appearance in the College Football Playoff. Tulane got into the field with an auto-bid after winning its conference title and earned the No. 11 seed, which means another trip to Oxford for a rematch with Ole Miss.

Back in September, Ole Miss beat Tulane 45-10 in a complete rout, so things aren’t looking good on paper for the Green Wave. However, the Rebels are now without head coach Lane Kiffin, who is not coaching in the CFP like Sumrall is. Maybe that’s enough for Tulane to keep things close and spring what would be a historic upset.

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