Steve Sarkisian didn’t want to replace Nick Saban. No reason leave Texas football | Toppmeyer
My only surprise in Steve Sarkisian’s disinterest in replacing Nick Saban is that he needed a full minute to consider the possibility.
I would’ve thought Sarkisian decided within 10 seconds that he’d rather remain Texas’ coach than bolt in favor of being Saban’s heir. Perhaps Sarkisian used the other 50 seconds to negotiate his Texas contract extension and raise.
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A coach usually leaves a job for one or more of a few reasons:
1. He can make more money elsewhere. This didn’t apply to Sarkisian. Although Saban ranked as the nation’s top-paid coach in his final season, Texas is a revenue giant. The Longhorns aren’t in danger of being outbid for Sarkisian, who earned a pay bump to $10.3 million for 2024. Comparatively, Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer will earn a starting salary of $10 million. Plus, Texas has no state-income tax.
4. A coach leaves for a school that offers a better opportunity to win a national championship. This one ranks as the biggie. There’s some truth in the cliché that you don’t want to be the guy to replace the guy. You want to be the guy to replace the guy who replaces the guy. However, you ignore the cliché, invite the pressure and race toward Alabama if the job is markedly better than the one you’re departing. See DeBoer. Alabama enjoys a better recruiting base than Washington, plus more resources, a more powerful brand, offers a better salary and boasts plenty of other advantages. Naturally, DeBoer left the Huskies.
One incompletion separated Texas from reaching the national championship game last season, and Sarkisian returned plenty of talent and ample production from that 2023 squad. He plugged some holes with transfers. While the full financial details of an NIL collective are shielded from the public, Texas is widely believed to enjoy strong NIL backing.
In the short term, Texas enjoys better odds of winning the national championship than Alabama, although both have the capability of making the inaugural 12-team playoff. Not only does Quinn Ewers have a case for being the SEC’s best starting quarterback, Texas might also possess the conference’s best backup quarterback, Arch Manning.
“I think we have a great-looking team,” Sarkisian told reporters earlier this spring.
Sarkisian recruits well at Texas. He’s positioned for success in 2024 and beyond.
Sarkisian, though, enjoys a one-step lead on DeBoer in the race to win his first national championship. Sark can achieve that feat at Texas, perhaps as soon as this season.
It’s a testament to Alabama that Sarkisian considered leaving for even 60 seconds.
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