History isn't on the side of college coaches who attempt to make the jump to the NFL, but Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is looking to become a rarity. Despite taking the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff in back-to-back seasons, the 51-year-old could look to take advantage of the sinking ship in Austin in hopes of capturing his first-ever NFL head coaching job.
I’m told that representatives for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian have let NFL decision makers know that he would be interested in potential head coaching openings, including the Titans’. pic.twitter.com/WhBmN28ela
— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 25, 2025
Dianna Russini specifically mentioned the Tennessee Titans for Sarkisian, who are desperately searching for stability for No. 1 pick Cam Ward. Tennessee fired Brian Callahan a few weeks back, and have since been linked to another former Atlanta Falcons' coach in Steelers' OC Arthur Smith.
Sarkisian hasn't coached in the NFL since 2018, when he served as the Falcons' offensive coordinator under Dan Quinn after Kyle Shanahan took the 49ers' head coaching job. However, he was fired after just two seasons after the Dirty Birds barely mustered 20 points per game in 2018.
Steve Sarkisian is expressing interest in making a return to the NFL ranks
Since taking over at Texas, Sark has compiled an impressive 42-19 record—and has led the Longhorns to three consecutive bowl games. They managed to win the SEC Championship back in 2023, but UT has hardly managed to sustain that success now that Quinn Ewers is in the NFL.
With Ewers and the Dolphins set to face the Falcons tomorrow, highly-touted quarterback Arch Manning has taken over, and the NFL legacy has quickly stumbled. The Longhorns are off to a disappointing 4-2 start, as their playoff hopes are hanging on by a thread at this point.
In Texas' last game against Kentucky, the Longhorns hardly squeaked by as UT narrowly prevailed in overtime. Manning's processing and mechanics are a real work in progress, and it's clear that Arch will not live up to the pre-season Heisman hype.
Unfortunately, his disappointing sophomore season has led to Sarkisian's offense being unable to generate the spark they have had in years before.
Jim Harbaugh and Pete Carroll are among the rare success stories of coaches who went from the college ranks to the NFL, but that's because they both had prior NFL experience. And as good as he's been collegiately, that wealth of NFL coaching experience isn't something Sark boasts.
Harbaugh took San Francisco to the Super Bowl before leaving for Michigan, which is why it's no surprise his time with Justin Herbert and the Chargers paid immediate dividends. And Carroll turned both USC and the Seahawks into juggernauts after preceding Bill Belichick into New England.
This jump also comes with massive flameouts like Urban Meyer and Matt Rhule, so Sarkisian needs to tread lightly—especially given how inept Tennessee ownership is. Here's hoping his time learning on the sidelines in Atlanta has prepared him for this next challenge.