NEW ORLEANS — In July, Tulane coach Jon Sumrall organized a Wednesday speaker series for his players. The lineup ranged from Kellen Moore, then newly hired as the New Orleans Saints coach, to a financial planner and an NFL player agent. Sumrall closed the session himself — but he didn't give a normal motivational speech. Instead he spoke plainly about the reality of the coaching business and how it mirrors the players' world.
He asked roughly half the roster if they had agents, pointed out that he and many assistants also rely on agents to field offers, and said some staff members had declined Power Four moves to remain at Tulane for 2025. Sumrall told players he needed them to understand that the roster they saw in July might look very different by season's end. He framed that transparency as a lesson learned: in 2024 he kept his head down during a late-season collapse and didn't address the distractions — and that silence cost him.
After a 9-2 start in 2024, Tulane lost its final three games and saw key contributors, including quarterback Darian Mensah and running back Makhi Hughes, transfer away. Determined not to repeat that cycle, Sumrall chose to be candid up front this yea
