The Longhorns are operating with the most expensive roster at $47.9 million with the most famous player in all of college football in Arch Manning. Safe to say, this is Natty or bust territory for Steve Sarkisian. Even though the head coach has revitalized Texas with a solid 48–20 record under him, along with a couple of playoff wins, he is still uneasy about his job security. And this case only intensified for Sarkisian following a coach’s firing in 2025.

“I watched a coach get fired five games into a season last year after being in the semifinals the year before. That’s concerning to me about the health of our sport,” said Sarkisian, reported by ON3’s Pete Nakos.

Sark is referring to the firing of James Franklin from Penn State. Franklin’s tenure with the Nittany Lions was guaranteed through 2031, after signing a 10-year contract extension in 2021. Under the coach, PSU even reached the CFP semifinal in 2024, following which, the Lions entered the 2025 season with the No. 2 preseason rank. They even started the season with a 3-0 record.

But a run of losses to Oregon, UCLA, and Northwestern led to Franklin’s abrupt firing. The team decided to go with the decision even though there was a $49.7 million buyout involved. This proves that even a massive buyout can’t save Sarkisian’s job with the Longhorns, in case the team faces a similar fate.

In this scenario, the Texas coach suggests the urgency of winning a title in 2026. Following a 9-4 season, this season the Longhorns have secured a No. 3-ranked portal class, which included elite talents like Cam Coleman, Rasheem Biles, Hollywood Smothers, and more. In fact, the current Longhorns football roster is being considered as arguably the most complete, high-ceiling collection of talent in college football.

Starting with the leader at QB. After capturing the Citrus Bowl MVP to cap off last season, Arch Manning enters 2026 as a fully realized, elite superstar and a consensus favorite to go No. 1 overall in the 2027 NFL Draft. After a rough start to his first season as a starter, he finished the year strong. Apart from his football IQ, Manning showed off his dual threat ability with a 60-yard rushing touchdown against Michigan.

This time, Manning has elite weapons at WR with Came Coleman and Ryan Wingo. Even the defense has stars with Colin Simmons at the edge position. Despite that, Texas has to translate those talents into on-field success if Sark wants to save his job.

If Texas fires him in 2026 without cause, the Longhorns would owe him a $55 million buyout. But there’s a twist: if they fire him before December 31, 2026, then there’s a “mitigation” of damages, and after January 1, 2027, it will disappear. Regardless of this fact, Sarkisian reaffirms his commitment to Texas.

Steve Sarkisian doesn’t want to leave anytime soon

After starting in 2021 as the Texas head coach, Steve Sarkisian was linked to NFL teams during the 2025 coaching carousel following his background as an NFL OC. But the coach continuously shut down those rumors to focus on the Longhorns’ success. Now, the coach ensures his long-term stay in Austin.

“This is the longest I’ve been at a job in my career. Six years. I couldn’t be more excited and grateful for that. I mean this when I say this, I hope I retire at the University of Texas,” said Sarkisian at the National Football Foundation Touchdown Club event in Houston

Under his leadership, Texas saw a transition from a sub-.500 team into a national championship contender. But you can’t overlook those NFL rumors because his representative reportedly expressed a desire to move to the league. However, the coach stated those reports were “wildly inaccurate.”

“I’d love to touch on this, so bear with me for a second because it really pisses me off that one person can make a report that in turn the entire media sports world runs with as factual,” said Sarkisian during a win against Mississippi State in overtime. “To the point where my agency and my agents have to put out a statement that they have never done. Historically, CAA, Jimmy Sexton, and Ed Marynowitz never do that. But I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team.”

With his job potentially on the line, coach Sarkisian will be hoping he can lead the Longhorns to success. While NFL teams have expressed a desire to bring him on, he will be looking to finish what he started in college and help Texas win the championship before taking that next step.