Steve Sarkisian was in the hot seat discussion for a while at the start of the 2025 season. After starting the year ranked No. 1 in the preseason poll and then quickly dropping out, Sarkisian was the subject of brutal criticism. While programs like the Penn State Nittany Lions saw James Franklin fired after three straight losses, Texas bounced back with a 6-2 record.
Despite not being in the hot seat now, Sarkisian’s name continues to surface in discussions about other college openings and even NFL teams such as the Tennessee Titans.
Ex-Titans Star Doesn’t Want Steve Sarkisian to Leave Texas
In an appearance on “Up & Adams” on Tuesday, former Tennessee Titans tackle Taylor Lewan spoke on reports linking Sarkisian to the Titans’ head coaching job.
“If I’m Sark, and I look at all the things that I have going for me in Austin. He’s got Texas money. He’s got oil money. He’s got the infrastructure around him to be successful. He’s got his pick of the litter when it comes to every player that comes out of there. Texas is a major place for recruits.”
“And then if I’m Sark and I’m like, oh, I would like to play, I would like to coach in the NFL, and the Titans will be the option. Just unbiasedly looking at the franchise right now, it’s not competitive. There are too many holes… So if I’m Sark, I would want to stay in Texas, too.”
The conversation followed a report from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini on Saturday claiming that Sarkisian had interest in returning to the NFL. Russini specifically mentioned the Titans’ job as they fired Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start. Sarkisian previously worked in the NFL as quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders (2004) and as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons (2017–2018).
Sarkisian’s agency quickly released a statement denying any contact with NFL teams. The Texas coach also criticized the report after the Longhorns’ 45-38 overtime win over Mississippi State, who have a tOLi score of 81.0 on PFSN’s CFB Metrics.
“It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that, in turn, the entire media and sports world runs with as factual, to the point that my agency and my agents had to put a statement out, which they’ve never done historically,” Sarkisian said.
Meanwhile, Russini defended her report on Tuesday amid online backlash. During her appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” she said that Sarkisian and his agency denied the NFL report, but they never explicitly stated that he planned to remain at Texas. Russini also noted that it’s “completely fair and understandable” to say Sarkisian will always keep his options open.
