As the Texas Longhorns prepare to face the Ohio State Buckeyes, athletic director Chris Del Conte had to answer questions about the future of Steve Sarkisian, among swirling NFL rumors.
Texas AD Shuts Down Notion of NFL Teams Coming After Head Coach Steve Sarkisian
It’s interview season within the NFL. With the conclusion of Week 18, NFL teams are now allowed free reign to interview candidates for job openings. There are five head coaching openings within the league, with more potentially to come within the next week.
For Texas, their season will last — they hope — two more weeks. With one confirmed game left, head coach Sarkisian has his eyes set on how he can defeat Ohio State and reach the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.
MORE: 2024 College Football Network All-Americans
According to ESPN and NBC, multiple NFL teams have their eyes set on him as a potential interview candidate for their head coach opening.
Texas athletic director Del Conte dismissed the idea.
“We’ve got a game to play,” he said. “I’m not going to comment. Somebody’s just creating fodder before our biggest game. That’s stupid.”
Sarkisian was hired by Del Conte on January 2, 2021. Since then, he’s returned the Longhorns to the upper echelon of college football. After two development years, Texas has reached the College Football Playoff semifinals in two consecutive seasons.
In early 2024, Sarkisian agreed to a four-year extension to his previous six-year contract, which tied him to the university until 2030.
It would be an extremely quick change of events if he were to jump ship to enter the NFL coaching ranks.
But before all that, as Del Conte said, Sarkisian is busy preparing for the most important game in recent Longhorn history against Ohio State. With two more wins, a national championship will be in the hands of Del Conte and Sarkisian.
College Football Network has you covered with the latest from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, SEC, and every Group of Five conference and FBS Independent program.