GOOD NEWS: Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian declines NFL interviews, extends huge new contract at Texas

GOOD NEWS: Texas Longhorns Head Coach Steve Sarkisian declines NFL interviews, extends huge new contract at Texas

Head coach Steve Sarkisian after Texas’ game against Florida on Nov. 9, 2024.

Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian is not going anywhere. Just a week after Texas fell to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal, Sarkisian extended his contract with the Longhorns.

Amid rumors that he would depart the program for an NFL opportunity during the College Football Playoff, Sarkisian made it clear where his focus lay. NFL Insider Adam Shefler had reported on ESPN ahead of the semifinal game against Ohio State that Sarkisian had “drawn some interest” from the NFL level. Sarkisian quickly responded.

“Unified. Focused. Relentless. Together with our Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife and Athletic Director CDC, we’re locked in. Let’s make history!,” Sarkisian wrote before the game.

The NFL wouldn’t be new territory for the coach, who previously took on assistant roles for the Oakland Raiders, now Las Vegas Raiders, in 2004, and later for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017 to 2018.

Sarkisian had a contract with the Longhorns until 2030, but all that means is that there would be a significant sum of money coming Texas’ way if he decided to leave. He reportedly denied two interviews with NFL teams for head coach position vacancies to stay at Texas.

College Football Insider’s Brett McMurphy shared the news on X.

“Steve Sarkisian agrees to contract extension (with) Texas after declining interviews (with two) NFL teams, sources said,” McMurphy wrote. “UT Board of Regents chairman Kevin Eltife (and) (Athletic Director) Chris Del Conte were key figures in getting the deal done, source said. Sarkisian has led UT to consecutive (College Football Playoff) semifinal berths (and) double-digit win seasons for (first) time in 17 years.”

Del Conte was next in using social media to share the news. Del Conte posted a picture alongside Sarkisian, to which the head coach quoted with the words “Hook’Em.”

The Texas football page has yet to make an announcement.

“The fact Sarkisian didn’t take any NFL interviews shows his buy-in & commitment to the University of Texas,” a source told McMurphy, per his report.

Sarkisian took Texas to a Southeastern Conference Championship in the team’s maiden year in the conference, as well as two consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals. But the job is not done