15 years after playing his last game at UK, he’s back as a coach. See where he’s been.

Jon Sumrall won three letters playing middle linebacker at Kentucky from 2002-04. On Monday, the Wildcats officially announced Sumrall’s hiring as UK’s new inside linebackers coach.

Sumrall replaces Matt House, who recently left Kentucky for a job with the NFL’s Kansas City Chiefs.

Sumrall, 36, took a long and winding path to find his way back to Kentucky.

After graduating with a finance degree in 2005, Sumrall was a graduate assistant coach under Rich Brooks at Kentucky in 2005-06.

Sumrall then followed former UK assistant Ron Caragher to the University of San Diego, for three seasons as defensive line coach and two as defensive coordinator.

Next came three seasons at Tulane, where he coached the defensive line and then linebackers.

From 2014-17, Sumrall worked under another former UK assistant, coaching linebackers and special teams for Neal Brown at Troy.

He spent 2018 coaching linebackers at Ole Miss.

Sumrall seems glad to be back in Lexington.

“It’s an honor and a privilege to have the opportunity to coach at my alma mater and be a part of Coach (Mark) Stoops’ program and what he’s building here,” Sumrall said in a UK news release. “I’m excited about developing relationships with the players and helping them grow on and off the field as men. The University of Kentucky holds a special place in my heart and the opportunity to represent the Commonwealth is very special to me.”

This story was originally published February 25, 2019 at 4:12 PM.