ATLANTA (Oct. 2, 2026) - Officials from the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation and Peach Bowl, Inc. today announced that Florida head football coach Jon Sumrall has been selected as the inaugural Dodd Trophy Coach of the Month.
 
The Dodd Trophy Coach of the Month award honors a football coach who led his team to noteworthy on-field success during the previous month, while also embodying the award's three pillars of scholarship, leadership and integrity. Coach Sumrall was chosen from the previous month's weekly winners of the Dodd Trophy Coach of the Week, which also included Tony Elliott (Virginia), Joe Harasymiak (UMass), Eric Morris (Oklahoma State) and Will Stein (Kentucky).
 
Just four games into his tenure at Florida, Sumrall has the Gators off to their first 4-0 start since 2019 and their highest ranking in the AP Poll since 2020. Two of the team's four victories have come against SEC opponents, a 44-39 shootout victory at Auburn and a dominant 52-28 upset of No. 4 Ole Miss to close out September. The Gators' win over the fourth-ranked Rebels marked the program's highest-ranked victory since beating No. 3 Ole Miss at the Swamp in 2015.
 
The Florida offense has been the driving force behind their hot start, averaging 53.5 points per game. Sumrall's 214 points scored through his first four games as head coach are good for a program record, outpacing the previous best start by 50 points.
 
After coming to Florida from Tulane in the offseason, Sumrall was able to retain much of the existing talent in Gainesville to power his high-octane offense. A 1,000-yard rusher for the Gators a season ago, running back Jadan Baugh has already eclipsed his 2025 touchdown total, scoring 11 times while averaging 7.2 yards per carry. Second year running back Duke Clark has helped shoulder the workload with Baugh, doubling his season total with 126 rushing yards against Ole Miss. The Gators are also led by a group of returners in the receiving corps, with Vernell Brown III, Dallas Wilson, and TJ Abrams combining for over 600 yards and four touchdowns. The offense has been led by one of Sumrall's top transfers in quarterback Aaron Philo, who has thrown for seven touchdowns and added another three on the ground.
 
"The Gators' landmark win over No. 4 Ole Miss caught the eyes of the nation, but Coach Sumrall's team displayed excellence throughout all of September," said Chairman of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Foundation Jim Terry. "Florida has combined a newly implemented system with much of the on-field talent that showed promise a year ago. We look forward to seeing what new heights this team can reach."
 
Off the football field, Florida players have had success in the classroom, recording a 1000 Academic Progress Rate and an 85 Graduation Success Rate during the 2024 season. The Graduation Success Rate measures the number of student-athletes who graduate from their school within six years of entering.
Before ever coaching a game at Florida, Sumrall emphasized the importance of giving back to Gainesville, organizing a day of community service with his players in January of 2026.
 
"It is no small feat for a coach to stand out above his peers as the best in the nation in his first month with a new program," said Peach Bowl, Inc. President and CEO David Epps. "Coach Sumrall has impressed us all with how quickly he has made Florida a model program, both on and off the field."
 
Managed by Peach Bowl, Inc., The Dodd Trophy, college football's most coveted national coaching award, celebrates the head coach of a team who enjoys success on the gridiron, while also stressing the importance of scholarship, leadership and integrity – the three pillars of legendary coach Bobby Dodd's coaching philosophy. The award was established to honor the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division 1A) head football coach whose program represents the highest ideals on and off the field.
 
A panel consisting of all previous winners, national media, a member of the Dodd family and a College Football Hall of Fame member will identify the final list of potential recipients at the conclusion of the 2026 season. The winner of the 2026 Dodd Trophy will be announced in Atlanta during the week of the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.