As the NFL gets set for its infamous Black Monday, when head coaches around the league lose their jobs the Monday after the regular season ends, reports are starting to circulate as to who could be targeted by NFL franchises looking for their next leader.
And on Sunday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that he expects NFL teams to inquire about Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. Schefter said on ESPN, “I expect some teams to call an inquire about the Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who has drawn some interest from the NFL level.”
Sarkisian won the Big 12 in 2023 and led Texas to the College Football Playoff in 2023. Then, Texas joined the SEC for the 2024 season, where they finished as runner-up to the Georgia Bulldogs, but still reached the College Football Playoff. In the CFP quarterfinals, they just got past the Arizona State Sun Devils in double overtime to reach the semifinals next week at the Cotton Bowl.
Sarkisian has finally returned Texas to national relevancy, after more than a decade of mediocrity since the Mack Brown era. The 50-year-old is 38-16 during his four seasons in Austin.
Related: Big 12 Coach is Reportedly Open To Taking NFL Interview
After he was fired by USC, Sarkisian spent time in the NFL ranks, serving as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator in 2017-18. He took over for Kyle Shanahan, but after two seasons was fired by the team. He then spent two seasons at Alabama before landing the Texas job prior to the 2021 season.
After Texas won the Big 12 Conference and made the College Football Playoff last season, Steve Sarkisian was given a four-year contract extension through 2030 that also increased his salary for the 2024 season to $10.3 million, making him one of the highest-paid college football coaches.
