Steve Sarkisian Seemingly Confirms He Is Staying With Texas
Since the retirement of Nick Saban on Wednesday, speculation has been swirling regarding who will be the next head coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Among the names up for the position are Florida State's Mike Norvell, Washington's Kalen DeBoer, Ole Miss' Lane Kiffin, Oregon's Dan Lanning, and of course, Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian. And to be fair, Sarkisian might have been the best option on the table.
However, per a post on his X account, it appears Sarkisian has confirmed that he will be staying put in Austin - which also likely means an extension is coming as well.
"It's a great day to be a Longhorn," Sarkisian tweeted with a hook 'em horns emoji.
Sarkisian's wife Loreal also followed up with a tweet of her own that simply read "TEXAS" with a hook 'em emoji.
The Texas Football X account then doubled down on that Friday morning with a video post of their own.
We got a hint that this might be the case when Quinn Ewers announced his return to the Longhorns for the 2024 season on Friday - a massive win for the Longhorns in and of itself.
There were also reports on Friday evening that the Tide were beginning to circle on DeBoer, Norvell, and Alabama offensive coordinator Tommy Rees. Still, Sarkisian was a subject of rumors and speculation around the Tide, given his connection to Saban and his history in Tuscaloosa.
But given everything we have seen thus far, this is the most pointed evidence yet that Sarkisian does indeed intend to stay put with the Longhorns.
'I'm Coming Back!' Quinn Ewers Announces Return to Texas
And it should go without saying that, should this post mean what we all think it likely means, it is great news for Longhorns fans everywhere.
After all, Sarkisian has resurrected the program from the depths of mediocrity, cleaning house, fixing the culture, and building a long-lasting formula that should be successful for the long haul in Austin.
It is a formula he learned from Saban himself during his time in Tuscaloosa, and during his stint with Pete Carroll at USC.
Now - at least it seems - both that culture and Sarkisian are here to stay.