Steve Sarkisian Rejects NFL Offers, Agrees to New Contract Extension at Texas
After leading the Texas Longhorns to their second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff semifinals, head coach Steve Sarkisian received a second contract extension within the past year. Sarkisian turned down interview offers from two NFL teams, a move first reported by Brett McMurphy of the Action Network.
Texas athletics director Chris Del Conte shared an uncaptioned photo with Sarkisian and UT Board of Regents chairman Kevin Elite in acknowledgment of the extension.
A source told McMurphy, “The fact Sarkisian didn’t take any NFL interviews shows his commitment to the University of Texas.”
At present, six NFL head coaching positions remain vacant, including roles with the Dallas Cowboys, Las Vegas Raiders, Jacksonville Jaguars, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and New York Jets.
Sarkisian agreed to the new contract on Friday night, one week after the Longhorns’ Cotton Bowl loss to the Buckeyes. The seven-year extension adds a year to his existing contract, along with a “significant raise” and additional commitments from Del Conte. Anwar Richardson of Orangebloods reports that these commitments include salary increases for his support staff, notably rising star Brandon Harris, the program’s general manager, who could see his salary roughly double.
Earlier this month, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that NFL teams might approach Sarkisian, who previously served as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons before joining Nick Saban at Alabama. However, Sarkisian has chosen to remain at Texas, with the administration’s proactive move coming during a transitional period for the university, which is set to lose president Jay Hartzell to SMU.
Sarkisian has also voiced concerns over upcoming changes in college football, including the House vs. NCAA settlement case, which will reduce college football rosters to a maximum of 105 players. Sarkisian expressed worry about the impact this would have on walk-on players like star safety Micheal Taaffe. Additionally, coaches are concerned about player safety with the reduced roster size, which could make it harder for teams to field full scout teams.
In the past few weeks, Sarkisian has juggled preparing for the SEC Championship game in December, while also overseeing the signing of Texas’ No. 1-ranked recruiting class. Two days after their loss to Georgia, the NCAA transfer portal opened, further complicating his duties. Despite this, Sarkisian and his staff remained focused on retaining their roster while also recruiting from the transfer portal, all while uncertainty loomed regarding the 2025 NFL Draft.
After the season, Sarkisian and his staff shifted their focus to evaluating potential early NFL draft entrants, all while trying to maintain their roster in the face of constant tampering, a challenge that affects all top programs, particularly those with elite talent like Texas.
Although the NFL offers the allure of easier roster management, Sarkisian has found greater job security in college football, especially after guiding the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances and consecutive conference title games, including the 2023 Big 12 championship.
Ultimately, the most important factor is that Sarkisian chose to stay in Austin, securing the Longhorns’ future under the most successful seasons the program has seen since the Mack Brown era.
Discover more from SuperD24
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.