AUSTIN, Texas — The University of Texas at Austin has secured its football coach for the foreseeable future.
Texas Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian has agreed to a four-year extension that is scheduled to keep him with the program through 2030.
Sarkisian's extension comes amid a wave of extensions for college football coaches at powerhouse programs across the country in the wake of Alabama football coach Nick Saban's retirement.
Sarkisian, who was once an assistant coach under Saban, was loosely linked to the Alabama job, though no reports indicate that the school ever made a formal inquiry. Alabama eventually hired Washington's Kalen DeBoer to fill Saban's position.
"I said it when I came here three years ago, this is a dream job for me. It's a destination job, and I'm fired up every day to be the head coach at The University of Texas," Sarkisian said. "We're thrilled with what we've been able to accomplish and proud of the culture we've built and the way our players have grown – on and off the field. But we're just getting started. I've said it all along, we've been building this program for long term success. We're here to chase greatness, win championships, and be one of the best in the nation year in and year out. And we're so lucky to have an awesome group of players, a great staff, an unbelievably supportive administration, and the power of Longhorn Nation behind us to help us do that. I can't thank CDC, President Hartzell and Chairman Eltife enough for their commitment to our mission from day one, and I'm grateful for their continued support."
Sarkisian has amassed a 25-14 record in three seasons at Texas and 71-49 overall as a head coach between three stints with Texas, Washington and USC. Under his tutelage, the Longhorns' record has drastically improved each season since he took over, culminating in the program's first-ever College Football Playoff berth in 2023.
"Coach Sark is an incredible coach, a first-class person, and a tremendous leader of men," said Kevin Eltife, chairman of the UT System Board of Regents. "We knew he was the man for the job when we hired him three years ago, and the way he stuck to the plan he laid out for us, stayed the course in putting everything in place, and got our football program back among the best in the nation has been phenomenal. What a year it was in 2023, winning the final Big 12 Championship and taking us to the CFP for the first time, and we know the best is yet to come. Coach Sark has brought the pride and passion back in our program, we're so fortunate to have him, and we're looking forward to many more exciting years ahead."
This new extension means that Sarkisian will be one of the sport's highest-paid coaches entering the 2024 season.