Major college football head coach reportedly expresses interest in move to NFL

While the college football coaching carousel is just revving up, with big-name coaches being linked to high-profile open jobs like Penn State and Florida, here's a new wrinkle to consider.

The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported Saturday morning that Texas coach Steve Sarkisian could be interested in making a move ... to the NFL.

"I'm told representatives for Texas coach Steve Sarkisian have let NFL decision makers know that he would be interested in potential head coach openings, including the Titans," Russini tweeted.

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

It didn't take long for Sarkisian's agents -- Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz -- to refute the report. They put out a statement to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, saying, "Any reports regarding communications on coaching opportunities with NFL teams are patently false and wildly inaccurate. Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team."

Statement from Steve Sarkisian’s agents Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz at CAA: “Any reports regarding communications on coaching opportunities with NFL teams are patently false and wildly inaccurate. Sark is solely focused on coaching the University of Texas football team.”
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 25, 2025

Then again, what else are they going to say?

It's not uncommon for such things to leak as a ploy for a contract extension, except Sarkisian just got a massive new contract at the start of the year -- one that raised his salary this year from $10.4 million to $10.8 million with annual raises that will push it to $12.3 million in the final year of the deal in 2031.

With the Longhorns off to a 5-2 start, tumbling from No. 1 in the preseason AP Top 25 poll to out of the rankings and now back to No. 22, while highly-touted quarterback Arch Manning continues to struggle most weeks, it would seem an odd time to leverage renegotiation.

So perhaps Sarkisian is truly intrigued by the NFL. He spent two years as the Atlanta Falcons' offensive coordinator in 2017-18 before returning to Alabama for the same position. He was the Raiders' QBs coach in 2004. Other than that, he's spent his career in the college ranks.

In five years at Texas, Sarkisian is 43-19 overall, elevating the program over the last two years with 12-2 and 13-3 records, including reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals last year.

The Longhorns are still in the hunt for a CFP return this year, but their margin for error is gone after losses to Ohio State and Florida. A 23-6 win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma revived optimism for Texas' potential, but it needed overtime last week to get past last-place Kentucky, 16-13, as Manning's struggles resurfaced (12-of-27 passing for just 132 yards and 0 TDs).

As for the NFL, the Titans job is the only one open so far after the team fired second-year coach Brian Callahan six games into this season after a 1-5 start. Tennessee does have QB Cam Ward, the 2025 No. 1 draft pick, to build around and will have another high pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Of course, more NFL jobs will be open by the time Sarkisian's season is done at Texas. It's certainly interesting that his representatives would have started putting feelers out so early.