The 2024 season has been a remarkable journey for Steve Sarkisian and the Texas Longhorns, marking their first year in the highly competitive SEC. Many expected the transition to be challenging, but Texas managed to secure an impressive 13-3 record, surpassing expectations. Sarkisian, understandably, is relishing the success. However, despite his achievements, two other college football programs have outshined him, serving as a stark reminder that his position is far from being the most prestigious.
Texas Longhorns’ SEC Debut and Championship Pursuit
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Last December, the Longhorns faced Texas A&M in a crucial showdown for the SEC title. Given A&M’s 13 years of experience in the conference, many fans assumed the Aggies would emerge victorious. However, the opposite happened. Texas dominated the Lone Star Showdown, securing a 17-7 victory in a challenging and intense environment. While Sarkisian was already familiar with the SEC’s level of competition, this win boosted his confidence further, making him appreciate his position as Texas’ head coach even more.
But as much as he is thriving in his role, two other programs—Georgia and Ohio State—have established themselves as more dominant forces in college football, led by head coaches who arguably have an even more desirable coaching situation than Sarkisian.
Ranking the Best Coaching Jobs in College Football
On March 24, former Penn State tight end and current analyst Adam Breneman ranked the top college football coaching jobs. He placed Texas at No. 3, citing the program’s abundant resources, elite NIL funding, top-tier facilities, and a deep recruiting pool. Quarterback Arch Manning, for example, leads the On3 NIL valuation rankings with a staggering $6.5 million valuation. Additionally, Texas’ 2025 recruiting class was rated the best in the nation by Rivals.com, featuring four five-star recruits, 16 four-stars, and five three-stars.
However, despite these advantages, there is a significant challenge—navigating Texas high school football politics. Breneman noted that if Sarkisian can build strong relationships with Texas high school coaches, the Longhorns will continue to recruit successfully.
At No. 2 on Breneman’s list was Georgia, a program that offers everything a coach could ask for: strong donor support, top-notch facilities, an outstanding recruiting base in the South, and a history of national dominance. Under head coach Kirby Smart, Georgia has won four national titles and 17 conference championships, solidifying its reputation as one of the most powerful programs in the sport.
Topping the rankings at No. 1 was Ohio State, led by Ryan Day. Breneman described the Buckeyes’ coaching position as “bulletproof,” highlighting their national brand, SEC-caliber recruits, and a strong recruiting base in the Midwest, including Ohio, Pennsylvania, and the DMV (D.C.-Maryland-Virginia) region. Ohio State has consistently dominated the Big Ten and, in 2024, secured their ninth national title. However, with these advantages comes enormous pressure—expectations are always sky-high for the Buckeyes.
With programs like Georgia and Ohio State achieving national success, the question remains: Will Sarkisian be able to elevate Texas to the same level?
Keeping Sarkisian in Texas
Following the 2024 season, there was significant interest in Sarkisian from NFL teams. However, he was not tempted by the offers and made it clear that he was committed to Texas. He described his position as a “good job” and refused to entertain the idea of leaving.
To secure his long-term future, the Longhorns offered Sarkisian a lucrative seven-year contract extension, raising his salary by 3.85%. The new deal guarantees him $10.8 million in 2025, with his earnings increasing to $12.3 million by 2031, the final year of the contract. With this financial commitment, Texas solidified Sarkisian’s position and further strengthened his enthusiasm for leading the program.
During an appearance on the Off the Edge podcast on March 19, Sarkisian expressed deep gratitude for his role at Texas, stating:
> “It’s been an amazing experience. I’ve been a head coach three times now at three really pretty incredible places—University of Washington, USC, and then to get this opportunity to be at Texas, which, in my opinion, is the best job in the country, hands down.”
However, despite his confidence, his claim of Texas being the “best job” in the country is still up for debate—especially without a national championship to back it up. While Ryan Day and Kirby Smart have led their teams to multiple national titles, Sarkisian has yet to bring home a championship for the Longhorns.
The big question remains: Can Sarkisian and Texas truly compete with Georgia and Ohio State in the long run?