Source: Texas officials moved quick to lock up Steve Sarkisian with new contract extension after NFL overtures
Sarkisian now signed through 2031 season after getting one year added to guaranteed deal
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has received a one-year contract extension after being pursued by multiple NFL teams, a high-ranking university source told A to Z Sports on Saturday.
Action Network first reported Saturday that Sarkisian agreed to a new contract after turning down two NFL interview opportunities. The new one-year extension means Sarkisian is now under contract with the Longhorns through the 2031 season.
It’s unclear what kind of pay bump Sarkisian will see after leading the football program to back-to-back College Football Playoff semifinal appearances. Sarkisian received a new contract after the 2023 season that saw his pay jump to $10.6 million. His new deal has annual $100,000 escalator clauses.
Any new changes to Sarkisian's contract will have to be approved by the UT System Board of Regents.
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Sarkisian is already at the top end of the pay scale for Power Four football coaches. He was the third-highest coach paid in 2024, according to the USA Today coaching salary database.
Texas officials have made clear their intention of keeping Sarkisian in Austin. And keeping him happy, too.
There was some question as to whether UT would keep its administrative alignment after university president Jay Hartzell announced earlier this month he was stepping down.
Kevin Eltife, UT System chairman of the Board of Regents, made clear that as long as he remained atop the UT System that Longhorns football would be supported.
Eltife, athletic director Chris Del Conte and Sarkisian all met together to hammer out this new contract, the high-ranking UT source said.
Sarkisian appeared to confirm the news himself with a simple post that read, “Hook’em” along with a photo of him standing with Eltife and Del Conte inside Royal-Memorial Stadium.
“All of our leadership and administration at the flagship university is going to continue the support to athletics,” Eltife told A to Z Sports on Jan. 7. “Anyone that’s been watching the last 4-5 years knows that we are committed to the athletic direction. Nothing will change.”
Del Conte tried to throw cold water on the initial speculation from ESPN’s Adam Schefter that NFL teams would be interested in Sarkisian this offseason.
NFL rumors about Steve Sarkisian could be ‘stupid’ or Longhorns AD Chris Del Conte is putting his head in sand
Maybe it true, maybe it isn’t. Only Sarkisian’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, truly knows for sure.
“We’ve got a game to play,” Del Conte told the Houston Chronicle prior to the Cotton Bowl. “I’m not going to comment. Somebody’s just creating fodder before our biggest game. That’s stupid.”
Del Conte could’ve been speaking from the heart, knowing full well that Sarkisian’s agent Jimmy Sexton is a master at stirring up headlines for his client. But apparently, this was real.
NFL teams would be intrigued with Sarkisian for his quarterback acumen and offensive mind. He’s been a quarterbacks coach with Oakland Raiders and the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons. But Sarkisian has been, for the bulk of his career, a college coach.
Sarkisian deftly handled the quarterback issue this season with the Longhorns, playing three-year starter Quinn Ewers while developing backing Arch Manning. Ewers has declared for the NFL Draft and is projected to be a possible third-round pick.
Manning is set to take over the Texas offense in 2025, and most fans are over the moon with excitement.
In four seasons, Sarkisian has lifted Texas out of mediocrity and made the Longhorns a major national force. All that goes out the window if the school lost the coach now. Eltife and Del Conte are dead set on making sure that doesn’t happen.
