As Alabama searches for a replacement for arguably the most successful head coach in college football history, it can cross Steve Sarkisian’s name off its list of potential replacements.
On Friday morning, the Texas Longhorns’ official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a video in which Sarkisian seemingly reaffirms his commitment to the program following Nick Saban’s retirement at Alabama. The 20-second clip, narrated by Sarkisian, includes clips of him throughout his Texas tenure and ends with a screenshot of a social media post in which he stated “It’s a great day to be a Longhorn!”
“I came here to win championships, that’s the goal,” Sarkisian says in the video. “We’re here to chase greatness, to win championships. This is the University of Texas and people are going to want to be a part of it. It sure is great to be on the Forty Acres.”
Having previously served as the head coach at Washington and USC, Sarkisian spent three seasons working under Saban at Alabama, including a two-year stint as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator from 2019-2020. In three seasons in Austin, the 49-year-old has amassed a 25-14 record, including a 12-2 mark during the 2023 season, which ended with a loss to Washington in the College Football Playoff semifinal Sugar Bowl.
Coincidentally, Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer is currently the betting favorite to be Alabama’s next head coach.
With quarterback Quinn Ewers having committed to returning to Texas for his senior campaign, the Longhorns figure to once again be a national title contender in 2024. Following Sarkisian’s announcement on Friday, many took to social media to react.
It rocks that the way coaches announce they aren't leaving their jobs is just by posting sizzle reels https://t.co/j3ZjY9JgO1
— Alex Kirshner (@alex_kirshner) January 12, 2024
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.