Opinion: Sumrall is great for Troy football

by Caleb Thomas

During his career, Sumrall has made stops at SEC schools such as Ole Miss and Kentucky, but will be in Troy for at least the next four seasons. Throughout all of those stops, Sumrall has showed defensive prowess.

At Troy last season, Sumrall coached brilliantly, turning a team that won a mere 10 games in 2020 and 2021 combined into a 12 win, championship team. Much of this was predicated on his defensive knowledge and leadership skills. 

Troy's defense was elite in 2022, giving up only 17.2 points per game, seventh lowest in the country. Sumrall, along with former defensive coordinator Shiel Wood, formed a dominant defensive scheme that fueled Troy's resurgent season. Along with the defensive knowledge, Sumrall brought excellent leadership skills to the team.

When the officiating crew made a questionable call against Troy in Sumrall’s coaching debut, he wasn’t going to back down. When the Trojans lost on a Hail Mary, he wasn’t going to back down. From violently flinging his headset in rage to leading to pushing the team to be better, Sumrall responded in the tough moments. 

It was in these lowest points that Sumrall defended the program and pushed the team to rebound, and that is part of the reason he has made such a significant turnaround. 

With the College Football Playoff set to expand from four teams to 12 in 2024, Troy has a realistic shot at the postseason if they build on last year’s success. In the new format, the six highest-ranked conference champions make the playoffs and the next six highest-ranked teams fill the other spots. 

The Trojans would have narrowly missed the field in 2022, thanks to a heartbreaking loss at Appalachian State, but they were the seventh ranked conference champion behind Tulane. If his first year was any indication, Sumrall will have an excellent chance at leading Troy to a playoff berth in the next four years.