Ranking Steve Sarkisian's Smartest Personnel Decisions at Texas

The hiring of Steve Sarkisian as head coach was billed as the Texas Longhorns landing one of the sport’s best offensive play-callers, who was fresh off leading a historic Alabama offense to a sixth national championship under Nick Saban.

Entering his sixth season on the 40 Acres, it may not be his play-calling that has been the biggest win for the Longhorns. In an era of college football where the emphasis has shifted from hiring elite young coordinators to needing more of a CEO-style coach, Sarkisian has given Texas both.

His roster and staff management have helped him vault the Longhorns out of their decade-long mediocrity and back into national championship contention. But what ranks as his best personnel decisions?

No. 1 - Handling the Quarterback Succession

Arch Manning and Quinn Ewers — Texas quarterbacks Arch Manning (16) and Quinn Ewers talk during the team's first spring practice of 2023 at the Frank Denius Fields. 2023-03-06-manning-ewers | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Outside of his debut 2021 season, where Casey Thompson started at quarterback, Sarkisian hasn’t struggled at the one position he is thought of as a whisperer. His success at quarterback starts from the very beginning, when he made up for the loss of an elite in-state five-star quarterback by the previous staff when he landed Quinn Ewers in the transfer portal ahead of the 2022 season.

Then, not long after bringing one of the highest-ranked high school quarterbacks back home, he landed another historic five-star in Arch Manning.

For all the criticism that Sarkisian endured during the two seasons when he boasted both on the roster. It is hard to deny that his handling of the situation was a masterclass in roster management.

Neither transferred away from Austin, and aside from Ewers’ benching at halftime of the Georgia game in 2024, there was never a “quarterback controversy” in Austin. He stuck by Ewers for the two seasons, and for good reason, as he led them to back-to-back appearances in the College Football Playoff Semifinal before passing the baton to Manning.

No. 2 - Bringing Flood with Him

Alabama offensive line coach Kyle Flood during first half action in the Alabama A-Day spring football scrimmage game at Bryant Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday April 13, 2019. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Sarkisian knew, just like anyone, you can’t drive a Ferrari without an engine and reliable tires. That’s why one of his first hires when he arrived in Austin was revered offensive line coach Kyle Flood.

Say what you will about Flood and the offensive line following last season. But it cannot be denied that he’s rebuilt the line of scrimmage in Austin. After being short on playable bodies in Year 1, Flood brought in talent and depth that fueled each of Texas’s runs to the CFP semifinal.

No. 3 - Handling of the Transfer Portal

Texas Longhorns wide receiver Adonai Mitchell (5) celebrates a touchdown in the first quarter. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

In true Nick Saban fashion, Sarkisian hasn’t abandoned the recruiting of high school talent. Even in a world where he could - like many programs do - rely heavily on the transfer portal to build his roster.

Instead, Sarkisian uses the high school ranks as the foundation for his talent acquisition, and to good effect so far, as he’s landed three top-five classes. Meanwhile, he’s used the portal as a way to supplement his roster.

That strategy has seen him net star players like Adonai Mitchell, Matthew Golden, Andrew Mukuba, Trey Moore, and more recently the likes of Cam Coleman, Rasheem Biles, among others.

No. 4 - Defensive Coordinator

Both can be true: Pete Kwiatkowski was the right hire as the first defensive coordinator for the Longhorns under Sarkisian. While his subsequent firing and hiring of Will Muschamp was the type of ruthless action that could boost this decision to No. 1, if it brings a national championship back to Austin.

After years of the defense being an issue in Austin, Kwiatkowski brought a scheme that proved ultra-effective against the spread and air-raid offenses in the Big-12. He was the architect of a defense that ranked top-15 against the pass in 2024, which was also the Longhorns’ first season in the SEC.

Even after a disappointing 2025, where the Kwiatkowski defense took a step back despite boasting talent, there weren’t many decisive upgrades to be had. Muschamp was one of the few, and his poaching from Georgia could not only bring the key to beating the Bulldogs but also the missing piece to winning a national championship.

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