Coaching carousel, tampering, NIL: Takeaways from SEC media days

By Abby DiSalvo, Times staff Thu, July 23, 2026 at 9:01 PM UTC

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New Florida coach Jon Sumrall, shown in December, said he feels fortunate that he has been a head coach for only a short time and has not had to adjust to NIL or the transfer portal as other coaches have. ©Chris Watkins

Auburn’s Alex Golesh cried, “War Eagle!” Florida’s Jon Sumrall joked with reporters, and Will Stein positioned himself as Kentucky’s savior. After riding the coaching carousel into a juggernaut conference, they reveled in their numbered days as undefeated SEC coaches during football media days this week in Tampa.

They shared a few opinions, including an indifference toward the nine-game conference schedule and a refusal to pin down a definition of first-season success, and took questions on some of the hottest topics in college football: name, image and likeness, the transfer portal and tampering.

Each coach said he had what it took to keep up with the changing landscape.

“I do feel fortunate to have only been a head coach since 2022, and so the transfer portal and NIL and all the chaos that has ensued is all I know,” Sumrall said. “It’s not like I’ve been doing it forever and had to shift midstream.”

The new cast of characters also drew lines in the sand. Sumrall contrasted his decision to stay at Tulane through the College Football Playoff with Lane Kiffin’s decision to leave Ole Miss early for LSU.

“No two decisions are alike,” Sumrall said. “If any university told me I couldn’t coach in the playoff game, I don’t think I would’ve taken the job, just because I couldn’t leave the team I had coached all year.”

He did, however, place some blame for the coaching carousel on the length of the season.

“The calendar we have in college football right now, going from being a one-semester sport essentially to now we are playing our championship game in late January, it doesn’t match up with the movement of coaches and players very well, so it’s cumbersome to say the least,” Sumrall said.

Kiffin was one of the few coaches to speak against the new conference schedule, citing concerns related to the playoff-selection process.

“We’re all in the same conference. We keep playing each other. We don’t really prove that we’re better than anyone else, and we’re taking away out-of-conference games,” Kiffin said. “I just think that it’s going to cause issues that we’ve already seen.”

Sumrall and Golesh refused to complain about the change. For Stein, it’s just part of a first 230 days he called “a complete whirlwid.”

“This is what I signed up for. It’s been fun navigating these waters,” Stein said. “If you want to compete against the best, you come to the SEC. You just do.”

Tampering talk

Pete Golding took over as the head coach at Ole Miss after Kiffin left at the end of last season. He coached the Rebels to a 2-1 record, but his offseason transfer portal strategy created controversy.

The NCAA opened an investigation into Golding this winter after Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney accused him of swiping linebacker Luke Ferrelli. The College Sports Commission launched a separate probe into name, image and likeness, and revenue-sharing deals related to the transfer.

Golding did not take kindly to questions this week about tampering.

“Let’s not act like recruiting in college football for the last 100 years is the most moral thing,” he said Wednesday, before embarking on a tirade about the pitfalls of the portal.

“We go by the rules of the program and the flow. When you’re on the interstate and people are flying by you, what do you start doing? Damn right. Or you’re going to get hit,” Golding said. “In this profession, you’re going to get fired.”

He likened “do not contact” tags to a job market that forces workers to quit with no backup plan. He also waved a red flag at the coaching carousel.

“The model obviously has been broken ... but that’s in any job,” Golding said. “Coaches, we’re under contract. You don’t think other ADs are calling us during the year? Same ones that are bitching about all this stuff are the same ones calling coaches to come to other schools, so it’s everywhere, in every profession.”

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NIL chatter

A few players spoke about fitting name, image and likeness commitments into their schedule and reckoning with its effects in the locker room.

“It’s definitely more time-consuming than people would think, but for the most part it’s pretty enjoyable,” Alabama wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams said. “I’ve had eight-hour photoshoots. I’ve had to do two-hour Zoom calls in the middle of the day.”

The Crimson Tide standout has an estimated $1.6 million evaluation, and he made a splash last summer when he signed a deal with Nike. SEC players now account for 40 of the 58 individual signings the shoe giant has in college football.

Beyond specific brand deals, the name, image and likeness waters remain murky. Georgia linebacker Raylen Wilson said he tries to steer conversation in the locker room away from the topic, especially when it comes to comparison.

“You’re not trying to eat off your teammate’s plate,” Wilson said. “You’re trying to get money on the field out there.”

Florida running back Jadan Baugh had a similar outlook. Through the Florida Victorious collective, he and other Gators have participated in fundraisers such as Alachua Habitat for Humanity’s annual “Hall of Framers” event.

“Being able to do stuff like that, I don’t think about how much time it’s taking out of my day. I’m ready to do it, because it’s going to help somebody else,” Baugh said.

Tampa ties

Tampa has hosted SEC events in years past, including two men’s basketball tournaments and several women’s golf championships. The SEC women’s gymnastics championship will come to Tampa in 2027 and 2028.

As a reflection of its expanding footprint, the SEC this year opted to hold its football media days in Tampa for the first time in conference history. The one-time location shift also reflected years of partnership with the Tampa Bay Sports Commission.

Several head coaches used the opportunity to reflect on their ties to the area.

Texas A&M’s Mike Elko said his career passed through Tampa before he climbed the coaching ladder. He often travels to Florida to visit his parents, who relocated to Daytona Beach four years ago.

“This is a place that’s really special to me,” Elko said. “I kind of cut my teeth back in the early 2000s recruiting the I-4 corridor from Orlando over to Tampa, and so it’s an area I’m very familiar with.”

Georgia’s Kirby Smart said he traveled to Plant City with his family every summer as a kid. He recalled watching Reds spring training games and attending the annual Strawberry Festival.

Kiffin’s father spent 13 seasons as the Bucs defensive coordinator. He also had four grandparents from Tampa. He visited frequently as a child and returned recently to attend their funerals.

Golesh also has a strong connection, having coached football at USF for the past three seasons. Though he embittered many local fans with his move, he took time to thank the city he left behind.

“This community was incredible to my family,” Golesh said. “I am really, really thankful for my time here, the way we were treated and the commitment that was made to us here in Tampa.”

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Source: “AOL Sports”