Steve Sarkisian on Texas future: ‘I am not going anywhere’
By Derek Hryn
Published:
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian took a firm stand on Wednesday amid swirling speculation about his future, declaring clearly and forcefully that he’s staying put at Texas. Any report to the contrary is “absolutely false and untrue.”
Sarkisian opened his time on the SEC coaches teleconference call with a prepared statement about reports linking him to other jobs. He said he usually does not comment on speculation because he doesn’t want to be a distraction, but said recent reports have been “bothering” him for several weeks.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Sarkisian said. “I’ve had no discussions — not with my agent, not with the university, not with any other school, not with any NFL team — about ever going anywhere else. I came here to win championships.”
Sarkisian went on to mention he has 2 children enrolled at UT, a third he hopes will enroll at the school next fall, and called Austin his home.
He also listed off an assortment of accomplishments and accolades his program has enjoyed during his 5 years at the school.
“We’ve built a damn good football program over the 5 years that we’ve been here,” Sarkisian said. “Can we please stop putting things out there that you have absolutely zero evidence on? And then can we please stop retweeting, putting it back out there as if it’s true, as if it’s the gospel? It is not true.”
His comments on Wednesday come after weeks of outside chatter tying Sarkisian to everything from NFL interest to other major college jobs. He already dismissed those reports as “absolutely ridiculous” earlier this season, and doubled down again on Wednesday. With Texas fighting through an up-and-down stretch and expectations still sky-high, Sarkisian made it clear he’s locked into the program — not entertaining any detours.
Sarkisian and the Longhorns return home this week to face Arkansas (2–8). Texas continues to lean on a defense ranked top-25 nationally in scoring (18.3 ppg allowed) and top-10 against the run (83.2 ypg). That unit will be tested by an Arkansas offense averaging 470 yards per game — one of the most productive attacks in the country.
The Longhorns still have major games ahead — including a Black Friday showdown with No. 3 Texas A&M — but Sarkisian’s message was unmistakable: he’s not looking elsewhere, not exploring options, and not wavering.
