Texas’ Coaching Changes Signal Style Shift in Steve Sarkisian Era

If there is one thing that head coach Steve Sarkisian's recent coaching changes have demonstrated, it is that he's buying into the Southeastern Conference way of play.

On Dec. 12, Sarkisian brought in new running backs coach Jabbar Juluke, who has spent time at Florida and LSU. Then on Thursday, he hired an SEC notable figure in Will Muschamp to be the team's defensive coordinator. Muschamp, now in his second stint with the Texas Longhorns, has also coached at LSU, Auburn, Florida, South Carolina and Georgia.

The Muschamp hire shows that, in order for the Longhorns to cement themselves as an SEC powerhouse under Sarkisian, an era shift within the team's coaching dynamic and style was needed.

Why Sarkisian is bringing in Muschamp

Steve Sarkisian Jabbar Juluke Will Muschamp New Coaching Era — Oct 25, 2025; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts after beating the Mississippi State Bulldogs in overtime at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

After the firing of five-year defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, only offensive coordinator Kyle Food, special teams coordinator Jeff Banks and quarterbacks coach AJ Milwee remain from Sarkisian's original staff when hired in 2021.

Before letting go of running backs coach Chad Scott last week, Sarkisian had only chosen to dismiss one coach since coming to the Forty Acres, which was wide receivers coach Andre Coleman after the 2021 season. Plenty of coaches have exited the Texas program since Sarkisian arrived, but the recent staff changes made at the discretion of Sarkisian unveil his urge to adapt even more to the Southeastern Conference's intensity and methods, specifically on the defensive side.

"I do think there's a mentality you have to have in playing defense in this league, and we did it at a high level. Don't get me wrong. We did at a very high level, and a credit to all those guys that did it," Sarkisian said in Friday's press conference. "But I think to get to where we want to go and to beat some of those top four or five teams in the country right now, there's a style of play that you have to play, and you have to do it against the best."

He spoke about implementing a defensive style centered around playing a "little bit more in (the opposition's) face" by minimizing the run game with physicality at the line of scrimmage and making quarterbacks earn yards rather than giving up "free-access throws." To Sarkisian, Muschamp was the guy who could jumpstart this, considering his history in the SEC, to really help the Longhorns compete with the conference's highest-caliber teams on a consistent basis.

"Knowing what it takes in this conference is something that is invaluable to us," Sarkisian said about Muschamp's expertise in the SEC. "Even in his time over the past few years at Georgia and working with Coach (Kirby) Smart there, and the great successes they've had, not only as a team, but on the defensive side of the ball. And I just think his style of coaching, his style of play and the way we're going to play defense, is something that makes sense to me of what is needed in this conference."

Muschamp has been a head coach in the SEC at both Florida from 2011-14 and South Carolina from 2016-20, in addition to serving in defensive roles at Texas under Mack Brown, LSU, Auburn and Georgia. His success at the collegiate level -- being part of three national-championship-winning teams -- and his record as a proven leader also give Sarkisian the opportunity to focus more solely on the offensive side of the ball, rather than needing to be on the "defensive headset every single play."

"It'll be his defense," Sarkisian made clear.

Making the shift to a dynamic where you have one clear, trusted guy on each side of the ball to lead the way -- Sarkisian on offense and Muschamp on defense -- served as a deciding factor in making this staff-altering switch.

"I think there's a level to this that maybe it's hard to see from just looking through the window," Sarkisian said about the changes. "But ideally, when you get under the hood, you're like, 'Oh, there's some reasoning behind what we did to help not only the defensive side of the ball, but actually help us offensively.' And so there are layers to it."