Steve Sarkisian Open To Leaving Texas, Likely Wants To Get Away From Arch Manning

Over the last few offseasons, we’ve seen a plethora of college football head coaches leave for the NFL.

Two years ago, Jim Harbaugh left Michigan during their sign-stealing investigation for the Los Angeles Chargers. This offseason, Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly left the Buckeyes after winning a national championship to join Pete Caroll’s Las Vegas Raiders.

Now, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini, representatives for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian are making it known that he would be interested in potential head coach openings, including the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans were the first and only job to open in the NFL so far this season after they fired head coach Brian Callahan after a 4-19 start to his career over the last two seasons. Tennessee used the No. 1 overall pick on Miami quarterback Cam Ward, who has shown some flashes but ultimately has struggled.

Several successful college football head coaches, including the legendary Nick Saban, cannot get away from the strenuous, uncharted waters of college football’s new landscape fast enough. Even though these jobs are tremendously well-paid, they now have to be responsible for managing NIL efforts, fundraising, transfer portal, recruiting and actually coaching games and creating a culture at a program.

Sarkisian just signed a seven-year contract extension in January, but he already has his eyes on the door.

Texas opened this season as the No. 1 team in the nation. But that did not last long as they were uprooted by Ohio State in Week 1 of the season. In the first weekend of October, they were also upset by Florida, who despite that win, moved on from their own head coach, Billy Napier.

Sarkisian’s Longhorns have struggled because Arch Manning has failed to live up to his preseason Heisman hype. Manning has played his way out of any potential to skip town for the NFL Draft, meaning that he will likely return to Texas in an effort to improve his draft stock.

Remember, some folks around the college football landscape thought Manning would have an opportunity to usurp Quinn Ewers, who was able to get the Longhorns into the College Football Playoff despite obvious limitations. Sarkisian only gave Manning a look due to injuries and largely downplayed any hype that began to surface.

If this report from Russini is true, and there is no reason to believe that it’s not, expect Sarkisian to become a top NFL coaching candidate this cycle – leaving Manning’s hopes and dreams in the hands of some other coach… or the transfer portal.

The Titans job is already open. But in the NFL, there will always be more that will come available. 

The Miami Dolphins are 1-5 and Mike McDaniel sounds as good as gone. The Arizona Cardinals are bottom feeders in Year 3 of the Johnathan Gannon experience. And the Cleveland Browns and New York Giants are two teams expected to be bad by the season’s end.

Sarkisian wouldn’t have much competition for a job, either. Kliff Kingsbury? Brian Flores? Mike McCarthy? Those are the “top” proven retread candidates.

The Longhorns are currently the No. 22 team in the nation because of their two losses against Ohio State and Florida. Because of the expanded 12-team College Football Playoffs, they still have a chance with Top 10 matchups against Vanderbilt, Georgia and Texas A&M.

But their head coach already sniffing around the NFL before the calendar even flips to November is not a good sign for anybody.