Chris Del Conte Shuts Down Rumors of Steve Sarkisian's Departure

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns have been no stranger to making headlines this season.

From the hype surrounding Arch Manning to being the preseason No. 1 team, the attention surrounding the Burnt Orange is never ending.

This continued on Monday, when college football analyst and former Heisman Trophy winner Desmond Howard turned heads in a major way when he said on social media that it wouldn't be a surprise to see Steve Sarkisian and Texas "mutually part ways" at the end of the season.

It didn't take long for Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte to catch wind of Howard's out-of-nowhere comments and immediately put the rumors to rest.

Chris Del Conte Refutes Desmond Howard's Comments

"Don't be surprised if that Texas job opens up at the end of the season," Howard said in a video on X. "You guys were shocked when LSU opened up. Imagine how you're going to feel if that job in Austin pops open. I'm not calling or saying anyone's going to get fired, maybe a mutual parting of ways."

Del Conte responded directly to Howard's video, shutting down any speculation about Sarkisian's departure in the process.

"This is news to me … Thanks for the insight," Del Conte wrote.

This is news to me… Thanks for the insight 🫵🏽🤦🏽‍♂️ https://t.co/9oD7wr24Ha
— Chris Del Conte (@_delconte) November 18, 2025

It was only a matter of time before Del Conte, who is routinely active on social media, responded to Clark in a strong way.

Del Conte hired Sarkisian in 2021, and the two have brought Texas back to its elite ways since.

In that time, Sarkisian has led Texas to back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff Semifinals, a Big 12 Championship title and a berth in the 2024 SEC Championship. The Longhorns have found themselves only a few plays away from playing the National Championship the past two seasons, something very few programs have replicated.

Sure, the Longhorns haven't quite met expectations this season after being the preseason No. 1 team, but starting next year, Texas remains a perennial contender in the SEC under Sarkisian until proven otherwise.

If you need more clarity about Sarkisian's future at Texas, look no further than his comments about the NFL rumors after the win over Mississippi State.

"It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that in turn, the entire media, sports world runs with as factual to the point that my agency and my agents have to put a statement out," Sarkisian said. "I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out, and the fact that everybody ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media."

"I respect what you guys do, I really do, and everybody else, but the fact that everybody ran that as truth is really embarrassing," Sarkisian continued. "I've got a small circle when I make decisions on what I do and what I don't do, and nobody would speak on my behalf without me knowing."