Steve Sarkisian's NFL interest isn't new, but timing of latest report raises questions at turbulent Texas

Hours before an important road game for Texas at Mississippi State came a report that Steve Sarkisian could be interested in jumping to the NFL.

This isn't a new development, though The Athletic was the first to publicly report what has been bubbling behind the scenes in college football this year. In what's already been a bit of a bumpy season so far for Sarkisian in Austin, there is belief in NFL and college football circles he could be looking for an exit ramp, sources told CBS Sports. 

"I'm told that representatives for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian have let NFL decision-makers know that he would be interested in potential head-coaching openings, including the Titans'," Dianna Russini tweeted.

Texas is coming off its worst offensive output of the Sarkisian era, managing 179 yards in a 16-13 overtime win vs. Kentucky, the worst team in the SEC. 

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One industry source told CBS Sports last month Sarkisian was expected to have interest in the Miami Dolphins job, should it open up. Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel is 1-6 this season with plenty of speculation about how long he can hold on to his job. The Athletic reported Saturday that Sarkisian had interest in the Tennessee Titans vacancy. The Titans fired Brian Callahan two weeks ago after a 1-5 start to the season. 

Sources told CBS Sports that NFL organizations are aware of Sarkisian's potential interest in making the jump to the NFL. His name came up in January during the NFL hiring cycle as a possible name that could pop up in coaching searches. Those whispers have been louder this fall with a season that has not gone to plan (Texas is No. 22 with little wiggle room for a College Football Playoff return) and the looming probability Sarkisian will have to make tough decisions about his friends on the coaching staff, namely maligned offensive coordinator/o-line coach Kyle Flood, whose offensive line reconstruction has not gone to plan. 

Something important to consider, however: There is healthy skepticism around the league that Sarkisian's possible NFL interest will be reciprocated this cycle. 

In a rare move, Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz, Sarkisian's agents at CAA, issued a statement denying Sarkisian has interest in a move to the NFL. 

"Any reports regarding communications on coaching opportunities with NFL teams are patently false and wildly inaccurate," Sexton said. "Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team."

Sarkisian spent two seasons as an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons from 2017-18 before being fired. He has had a well-publicized bout with alcoholism, which included going to rehab, and was fired from USC in 2015. He has claimed to be sober since 2016 and rehabilitated his career at Alabama, first as an offensive analyst and later as the offensive coordinator on the Crimson Tide's 2020 national championship-winning team. 

Sarkisian isn't the only college coach whose name has been mentioned with potential NFL searches -- Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman, Iowa State's Matt Campbell and Oregon's Dan Lanning have all come up in the past -- but the NFL has largely eschewed the college ranks to find its head coaches. The Los Angeles Chargers hired Jim Harbaugh in 2024 from Michigan though he had previously guided the San Francisco 49ers to a Super Bowl appearance. The last three before Harbaugh -- Urban Meyer with the Jaguars (2021), Matt Rhule with the Panthers (2020) and Kliff Kingsbury with the Cardinals (2019) -- all struggled in the NFL which could contribute to hesitancy on going down that path. 

Sarkisian has been at Texas since 2021 and has a 42-19 record over four-and-a-half seasons. He has guided the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances, winning 25 games over that two-year period, and in February inked the school's first No. 1-ranked recruiting class. He is quite easily Texas' best coach since Mack Brown left the building and is on the short list of best coaches in school history. 

This has not been a season of warmth and and fuzzies, though. Preseason No. 1 Texas is 5-2 with road losses to Ohio State and Florida. A satisfying win over Oklahoma was followed up by a near-loss to Kentucky. The offense, Sarkisian's calling card, has taken a colossal step back as much-hyped quarterback Arch Manning has struggled in his first season as the full-time starter while the offensive line, wide receiving corps and running back room have all come up short of the standard Sarkisian established at Texas once he got things rolling. 

The Longhorns rank 80th in scoring offense, 80th in passing offense and 84th in total offense. Sarkisian faced a battery of difficult questions at his press conference Monday, including whether he had contemplated benching Manning and whether he would give up offensive play-calling. He has refused to do so.

"That's why I got hired," Sarkisian said. "I was a really good offensive coordinator, so I just believe in what we're able to do."

Sarkisian is the fifth highest-paid coach in college football, making $10.8 million this season. He received a raise and contract extension in February that extended his deal through 2031. NFL coaching salaries aren't publicly available the way college coaches are, but multiple reports have stated Callahan made approximately $3 million per year with the Titans while McDaniel reportedly makes approximately $3.5 million annually.