Steve Sarkisian's Texas Contract Buyout Amid Titans, NFL Head Coach Rumors

Steve Sarkisian may not be long for Texas.

According to the Athletic's Dianna Russini, the Longhorns head coach has reportedly expressed interest in making the move to the NFL, including potentially with the Tennessee Titans.

Sarkisian's reps immediately pushed back on that reporting, however:

Whether the NFL would offer Sarkisian the sort of money he's making at Texas is another matter entirely. He currently ranks fifth in college football with a $10.8 million salary, per USA Today, though that wouldn't rank in the top 10 of NFL coaching salaries. He also owns a $60.3 million buyout as of Dec. 1.

Most of Sarkisian's coaching career has been spent in the college game, though he did serve as the then-Oakland Raiders' quarterbacks coach in 2004 and the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator in the 2017-18 seasons.

As for his head-coaching experience, Sarkisian has served as the head honcho for Washington (2009-13), USC (214-15) and Texas (2021-present), with an 89-54 record. He's had the most success with the Longhorns, leading the team to a 43-19 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff last year.

Sarkisian would be a first-time NFL head coach, however, so whether a team would be willing to pay him top money at the position is unknown.

It's all a moot point if he's not actually interested in leaving Texas, of course.