Sugar Bowl

The Allstate Sugar Bowl has recognized the top collegiate coach in the state of Louisiana since 1988 – candidates must coach at the collegiate level within the state of Louisiana. The honor is selected by the New Orleans Sports Awards Committee, which has been existence since 1957. In 1961, the group began selecting an overall coach of the year from the state – whether it be from high school, college or professional sports. All of the Sugar Bowl annual awards were presented on a calendar-year basis until 2009 when the Committee changed to an academic calendar (July-June). The annual awards banquet is typically held in late July or early August.
 

Jon Sumrall, who led the Tulane football team to the College Football Playoff, was selected as the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Outstanding College Coach for the State of Louisiana for 2025-26. Sumrall, who was selected over more than 250 collegiate coaches in the state, is the fifth Tulane football coach to win the honor and the first since Tommy Bowden in 1998.
 
Sumrall posted an 11-3 record in 2025, including a 34-21 victory over North Texas in the American Conference Championship for the program’s second conference title in four years. Among his 11 wins this season were a pair of victories over Power 4 opponents in Northwestern (BIG) and Duke (ACC), the Green Wave’s most over Power 4 opponents since 1988.
 
“I’m really grateful to the Sugar Bowl for the recognition,” said Sumrall, now the head coach at the University of Florida, via a recorded message. “Any time a head coach gets recognized, it’s got more to do with the staff and the players involved. I’m so grateful for the 2025 Tulane football team and everyone involved. I’m also forever grateful to the city of New Orleans.”

After winning the American Conference Championship, Tulane advanced to the College Football Playoffs for the first time in school history as the program earned the No. 11 seed and battled on the road before falling at No. 6 seed Ole Miss in Oxford, Miss. Besides being its first-ever playoff appearance, the Green Wave are also the first team to ever make the playoffs from the state of Louisiana in the 12-team format. The team closed the season ranked No. 18 in both the Associated Press Poll and the AFCA Coaches Poll.

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