NFL teams should stop pursuing Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian after he secured a massive payday on Saturday.
The Action Network’s Brett McMurphy reported Sarkisian and Texas agreed to a contract extension after the coach declined interviews with two NFL teams.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel added the new seven-year contract includes a “significant raise.” Sarkisian was already among the highest-paid college football coaches, earning $10.6M in 2024.
Interest from NFL teams gave Sarkisian leverage, which probably convinced the Longhorns it was a good time to solidify their future with the 50-year-old head coach.
Since replacing Tom Herman in 2021, Sarkisian has helped the program return to national prominence. In four seasons with the Longhorns, he is 38-17.
This past season, the Longhorns moved from the Big 12 to the SEC. Although they faced stiffer competition, they made the SEC Championship Game and a second straight College Football Playoff semifinal appearance.
Sarkisian has also proved he has an eye for talent. During his tenure, the Longhorns have sent multiple players to the NFL, including Atlanta Falcons second-year running back Bijan Robinson and Kansas City Chiefs rookie wide receiver Xavier Worthy.
Longhorns offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. — a first-team All-American — is expected to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Sarkisian and Co. are rolling, and the program doesn’t want to lose momentum. Giving Sarkisian a new contract should minimize distractions, which should keep the Longhorns in the thick of the national title hunt.
247 Sports ranks the Longhorns’ 2025 recruiting class as No. 1 in the country, and highly touted redshirt freshman quarterback Arch Manning is expected to replace junior Quinn Ewers, who recently declared for the draft.
