Tulane’s Bold Offensive Coordinator Move: A Direct Challenge to Florida’s Football Dominance

Florida just flipped the college football coaching carousel on its head by snagging Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as their new head coach—but Tulane didn’t sit quietly. Nope, they hit right back, swiping Florida’s offensive coordinator Russ Callaway to kickstart their own new era under Will Hall. It’s a classic case of chess moves in the coaching world, isn’t it? One guy goes, and the dominoes start falling in ways you never saw coming. Callaway’s journey from defensive intern to offensive mastermind with the Gators adds a spicy layer to the drama, especially given Florida’s rocky 12-13 record over his two-year tenure—yet, he’s credited with those electrifying upset wins that kept fans on edge. Now, with Tulane aiming to keep the momentum rolling from Fritz and Sumrall’s regimes, this hire could mean big things down in New Orleans. Makes you wonder: can a single coaching hire really shift a program’s trajectory? Let’s see how these moves play out on the gridiron. LEARN MORE.

Florida shook up the college football coaching carousel by hiring Tulane’s Jon Sumrall as its next head coach. The Green Wave have since responded by poaching offensive coordinator Russ Callaway.

Tulane has already hired Will Hall as its next head coach and is now closing in on a deal to make Callaway his first offensive coordinator, On3 Sports’ Pete Nakos reported. Once official, Callaway will likely become the first official member of Hall’s inaugural staff.

Reports of Tulane’s interest in Callaway come one day after Sumrall officially hired Buster Faulkner to be his offensive coordinator at Florida. Faulkner has spent the last three seasons as offensive coordinator at Georgia Tech.

Callaway has been with Florida since 2022, but the 2025 season was his first as offensive coordinator. He began as a defensive intern before assuming the tight ends coaching position in 2023. Callaway became the Gators’ co-offensive coordinator in 2024 and gained sole possession of the job in 2025.

Although Florida went just 12-13 in Callaway’s two years as offensive coordinator and co-offensive coordinator, the 37-year-old is often credited with most of the team’s success. Callaway played a key role in the Gators’ late-season turnaround in 2024, which included upset wins over No. 21 LSU and No. 9 Ole Miss.

Before his promotion at Florida, Callaway last held an offensive coordinator position with Samford in 2008. There, he led the Bulldogs to lead the FCS in passing yards and post the fifth-most total offense, with over 500 yards per game.

As Tulane’s former offensive coordinator, Hall will likely have a significant influence on the offense. The program hired Hall in an attempt to maintain its current momentum gained under previous head coaches Willie Fritz and Sumrall.

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