Steve Sarkisian is a happy man. He is not bothered by the rumblings of the outside world, where fans and experts have made predictions about his future in college athletics since there had been rumors around his NFL transition.
Steve Sarkisian Reveals Why He Didn’t Leave Texas
Per reports, Sarkisian was a topic of discussion in NFL circles after the Texas Longhorns thrived in the SEC and managed to play in the semifinal of the College Football Playoff.
There were plenty of open positions in the pro league where Sarkisian was viewed as a suitable candidate. However, he decided to stay in Austin and continue with his mission of building the program.
Sarkisian joined the Longhorns in 2021 after a brief stint at Alabama under legendary head coach Nick Saban. With a handful of NFL experience and multiple head coaching stints with USC and Washington, he took up the Texas role in hopes of rebuilding the program.
Over the last four years, there has been a massive transformation within the team. During the 2023 season, they managed to stay atop the conference standings in the Big 12, earning a College Football Playoff bid. Despite moving to a more competitive league, the SEC, in 2024, the Longhorns remained unfazed.
They managed to become the only team from the SEC to reach the College Football Playoff Semifinal. However, with a national championship in their reach, Sarkisian and Co. fumbled against Ohio State at the Cotton Bowl.
Did @CoachSark ever consider leaving Texas for the NFL this offseason??
“I really think I have the BEST job in America.” @TexasFootball @heykayadams | #HookEm pic.twitter.com/yKSnSAbHZn
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) February 20, 2025
Speaking about his incredible journey to Kay Adams last week, Sarkisian opened up on his decision to turn down NFL offers. Without naming the teams that reached out, he mentioned that coaching at Texas is an experience that he doesn’t wish to leave anytime soon.
“I believe I have the best job in America. And I know that’s easy to say because I’m sitting in the chair now, but I said this to my dad, like 30 years ago,” Sarkisian said.
Sarkisian added, “I tried to bounce around and play for a few years, and then I said, I’m gonna get into coaching. And he asked me, ‘What’s the best job?’ To build the program from where we were, we were five and seven in Year 1. It was a six-loss streak and no draft picks. Like, really poor.
“And then, Year 2, we get to 8-5. Bijan [Robinson] goes in the first round like we’re starting to build a little momentum. Year 3, you know, we make it to the college football semifinals.
“We broke the school record for draft picks with 11 draft picks. Year 4, we go to the semis again. We have 14 players invited to the NFL. In the last two years we’ve been to the play, we’ve been to the semifinals two years in a row. So, our work’s not done, but I love the progress that we’ve got, and I get to live in Austin, Texas, so I got a pretty good gig right now.”
KEEP READING: Arch Manning Credits Steve Sarkisian for Texas’ Success
Expectations are sky-high from Sarkisian since Texas will be looking to contend for a national championship in 2025. Arch Manning’s being named QB1 adds more prominence to this vision, and the roster is loaded with top talents from across the country.
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