"That's stupid": Texas AD refuses to discuss Steve Sarkisian NFL rumors ahead of Longhorns' game against Ohio State
Despite Steve Sarkisian having to prepare for Friday's Cotton Bowl against Ohio State, the Texas head coach has popped up as a rumored candidate for NFL coaching vacancies.
The New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, Jacksonville Jaguars, Las Vegas Raiders, New Orleans Saints and New York Jets are all in the middle of trying to find the next person to lead their franchises. University of Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte was frank in addressing the whispers.
"We've got a game to play," Del Conte told the Houston Chronicle. "I'm not going to comment. Somebody's just creating fodder before our biggest game. That's stupid."
It was NFL insider Adam Schefter that stoked the fire, saying on ESPN's "Sunday NFL Countdown" that he expects some of those teams currently without a head coach to have some interest in Steve Sarkisian. This comes as Sarkisian makes his second showing in the College Football Playoff semifinals in as many tries.
On3's Andy Staples had his own opinion on the matter. He recently spoke of an ulterior motive on the "Andy & Ari" On3 podcast.
"It's probably more of a 'let's get our man a raise' play," Staples said to his co-host, Ari Wasserman.
Steve Sarkisian's past experience on the professional level
Steve Sarkisian was the Oakland Raiders' quarterbacks coach in 2004. From 2017-18, he had a two-year tenure as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator. With him in charge of the Falcons' play-calling responsibilities, Atlanta's points per game average dropped over 11 points in his first year there.
Sarkisian was fired by the Falcons before 2019 arrived, then he returned to the college scene and joined Nick Saban's staff at Alabama. In 2020, the Crimson Tide won a national title with a commanding win over Justin Fields and the Ohio State Buckeyes. DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy that same season.
That success drew the Longhorns' attention, and he took over in Austin as Texas' head coach soon after. Under his direction, the Longhorns have again become nationally prominent. They came painfully close to reaching the national title game in 2023, but had to sit home and watch Michigan win it all.
With the rumors swirling, Steve Sarkisian must focus on the task at hand. The Buckeyes will arrive in Arlington red-hot, having drummed Tennessee and Oregon on the way to AT&T Stadium.
Texas, on the other, has some things to figure out after almost letting a 16-point lead turn into a loss against Cam Skattebo and Arizona State in the Peach Bowl. Plus, Quinn Ewers will have his hands full with a motivated Ohio State defense that tortured Nico Iamaleava and Dillon Gabriel.
The Buckeyes have the best odds to win the national title, according to FanDuel.