DALLAS – Steve Sarkisian doesn’t need a return to the NFL to coach a professional football team because that world continues to bleed into the college ranks, from the transfer portal (free agency) to NIL and revenue sharing (salary cap) and the expanded 12-team playoff that he referred to as an NFL model during the head coach’s press conferences ahead of the Cotton Bowl. 

ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported last week that NFL teams are interested in interviewing Sarkisian, who spent three years as an NFL assistant, including the 2017 and 2018 seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons. Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte called the reports “stupid” ahead of the College Football Playoff semifinal game against Ohio State. 

And maybe those reports are stupid. Sarkisian makes over $10 million dollars a year to coach the Longhorns. Only eight of the 32 NFL head coaches made more than that in 2014 and three of those eight are in the $11-12 million range that Sarkisian can hit at Texas with incentive bonuses such as winning a national championship on Jan. 20. 

Furthermore, Sarkisian already coaches a professional football team. At least in practicality. His roster is one of the highest paid in college football. He’s mastered the art of blending recruiting with the transfer portal like smart GMs in the NFL mix the NFL Draft and free agency. His quarterback room includes Arch Manning. He’s in the second consecutive semifinal for a Longhorn program that was stuck roaming the desert between his hiring in 2021 and Mack Brown’s final great season in 2009. 

The old guard of college football coaching royalty turned their noses up on the professionalization of college athletics. Guys like Nick Saban didn’t enjoy that money became part of the recruiting process even though Saban himself left multiple jobs for more money. He failed as an NFL coach, so that makes sense. Guys like Sarkisian and Ohio State head coach Ryan Day have embraced it. And that’s why they coach arguably the two best teams in college football. 

The 2024 season is the longest in college football history. Texas needed to win two playoff games to hoist the trophy last year. The Horns must win four this year – just like a wildcard team in the NFL. He said on Thursday that his experience in the NFL has helped him coach around the length of the season, not only to save his players physically, but emotionally. 

“I think the NFL does a great job of allowing players a break when they find (time) for those breaks,” Sarkisian explained. “The Victory Mondays in the NFL you hear about where they get Monday and Tuesday off and come back Wednesday. I think that’s been important for us.” 

Playing 16 or 17 games is tough enough. The 2005 national championship team only needed to play 13 games. The most games the Longhorns have played in a single season before this year was 14. To win the national championship, the Horns must play 17 times between Aug. 31 and Jan. 20. But Sarkisian believes the mental grind is as challenging as the physical one, especially with college-aged players still juggling school. 

Sarkisian believes in experience. He thinks the lessons learned at Alabama and in the Big 12 championship game and in the Sugar Bowl last year propelled his squad back to the top of the college football mountaintop in 2024. He also believes his experience as an NFL coach helped fine tune the offseason and in-season plans to put his team in the best position to win late in the year. 

“We’ve been in must-win situations since we lost to Georgia the first time,” Sarkisian said. “We had to win out in the regular season to get back to the SEC championship game. Once the playoffs started, it was win or go home. We’ve found moments to take a break and get a relief from football so that when (the players) come back, they’re reenergized and refocused on the task at hand.”