Steve Sarkisian Being on the “Hot Seat” is the Funniest Joke From SEC Media Days

This year’s SEC Media Days were quite the adventure, from Florida head coach Jon Sumrall stopping mid-sentence, stating he’ll throw the podium after a reporter's phone went off, to LSU head coach Lane Kiffin bringing up the obvious that we are “all going to die.”

It's also the time of the season when the weather gets hotter, so do the coinciding “hot takes.” And in the most divisive conference in all of college football, there surely were some outlandish takes at this year’s media frenzy in Tampa, FL.

While the occupation of a college football coach is a cutthroat business, with little room for error, especially in the SEC, where coaches are seemingly expected to exceed the ceiling, being on the hot seat is not out of the ordinary.

Michael Bratton, better known as “SEC Mike,” boldly stated on TexAgs Live that the most successful Texas head coach since Mack Brown’s run in the mid-2000s has the chance to be on the coaching carousel next season.

Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte Isn’t Fire Happy

Texas Footbal — Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and Chris Del Conte celebrate after defeating the Clemson Tigers in the NCAA College Football Playoffs first round game at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ricardo B. Brazziell/USA Today Network via Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

The easiest and most recent example of the situation that “SEC Mike” speculated could happen if Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns miss the College Football Playoffs is James Franklin’s firing last season.

A tad bit different circumstances, but Franklin, like Sarkisian, had all the pressure of Happy Valley to repeat the success of the previous season. Three games into the Big 10 conference slate, three close losses marked the end of the James Franklin era at Penn State.

Revisionist history can be harsh, and it's far too early to judge how those Nittany Lions will fare without Franklin going forward with Matt Campbell, who had two good seasons at Iowa State.

Looking closer to home, Texas Athletic Director Chris Del Conte has historically given his coaching hires a long leash. Former Texas baseball head coach David Perice had a couple of chances before hitting a wall in the College World Series and was axed for Jim Schlossnagle.

Former Texas soccer head coach Angela Kelly never could navigate past the Sweet 16 and, after a dismal season, was replaced by a national champion-winning coach, Marguerite Bates.

But there is still belief in this current Texas regime, and if Del Conte wanted to pull the trigger, last season was the shot. The multitude of coaching changes – Will Muschamp being the big one at defensive coordinator only proves Texas Football has made its bed with Sarkisian.

Then the age-old question is going to be asked? Who out there has an equal or better pedigree than Sarkisian that could replace him if a parting of ways could occur?

Could Del Conte pull Nick Saban out of his rocking chair in Tuscaloosa? Is Dabo Swinney even an option? Or can he pull off another Schlossnagle and tempt Kirby Smart? That one might cost an entire oil field in West Texas and a private land lease of South Padre Island.

Drawn-out explanation aside, if Sarkisian can’t figure out how to win at Texas, then no one can, and this job might be the most high-pressure, unwinable job in the country.

But that goes without saying that Sarkisian is not under pressure to perform this season, and the “SEC is tough” is not a proper scapegoat after three seasons in the conference.

The Longhorns know how to find success in the conference, and Florida, Mississippi State and Kentucky last season have shown them that even the bottom-barrel teams can ruin a season before it even has a real chance.

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