Steve Sarkisian's Representatives Deny NFL Coaching Interest, Affirm Focus on Texas Football

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that representatives for Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian told NFL decision-makers he’d be interested in potential NFL openings, including the Tennessee Titans, but his agents at Creative Artists Agency quickly denied the report. CAA agents Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz called the claims “patently false and wildly inaccurate,” saying “Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team.” The development comes as the Titans seek a new coach after firing Brian Callahan and amid a Texas season (about 5-2, No. 22) that has fallen short of preseason expectations. Sarkisian, 51, has prior NFL experience (2004 Raiders quarterbacks coach; 2017–18 Falcons offensive coordinator) and is roughly 43-19 in five seasons at Texas after guiding the Longhorns to consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals. He signed an extension through 2031 this year that raised his 2025 pay to about $10.8 million with built-in raises to roughly $12.3 million, a factor cited by analysts as making an abrupt NFL move less likely. Texas’ offense has been inconsistent and quarterback Arch Manning has had an uneven start, which helped fuel the speculation despite his agency’s denial.