Steve Sarkisian fires back at ‘unprofessional’ report linking him to NFL
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Following the Longhorns’ 45-38, come-from-behind win over Mississippi State on Saturday night, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian took aim at The Athletic for what he felt was a “completely unprofessional” report linking him to the NFL.
Multiple reports surfaced on Saturday morning that representatives for Sarkisian had informed NFL decision-makers that he was interested in potential head coaching jobs. Sarkisian’s representatives denied those reports, calling them “wildly inaccurate” and “patently false.”
The Athletic’s Dianna Russini linked Sarkisian to the open Tennessee Titans job. Horns247’s Chip Brown reported later that Sarkisian could be interested in the Miami Dolphins job if it came open.
In the postgame press conference, Sarkisian blasted the report from The Athletic, though he didn’t name names.
“It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that, in turn, the entire media sports world runs with as factual, to the point [that] my agency and my agents have to put a statement out — that they never have done,” Sarkisian said. “Historically, CAA, Jimmy Sexton, and Ed Marynowitz have never [done] that. But I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team.
“I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out. And the fact that everybody ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media. … The fact that everybody ran that as truth is really embarrassing.”
Sarkisian is in his fifth season with Texas. He holds a 43-19 record overall, with consecutive trips to the College Football Playoff semifinals. He spent 3 seasons in the NFL, first with the Oakland Raiders early in his career and then with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017-18.
After being fired from the Falcons, Sarkisian returned to the college ranks and spent 2 seasons at Alabama. He signed a 6-year, $34 million contract with Texas in 2021. He was given a 4-year extension last February that pushed his annual salary over $10 million.
“I’ve got a small circle,” Sarkisian said. “When I make decisions on what I do and what I don’t do, nobody will speak on my behalf without me knowing. Where that report came from, I’d love to talk to that person.”
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
