Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian sounds of about NFL rumors during a postgame press conference in October 2025. Photo Credit: ESPN; Jeff Kolb of Fox 4 Photo Credit: ESPN; Jeff Kolb of Fox 4
By Matt Clapp on

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian went off about a report from Saturday during his postgame press conference after the Longhorns beat Mississippi State 45-38 in Starkville, MS.

On Saturday morning, Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported that she was told representatives for Sarkisian “have let NFL decision-makers know that he would be interested in potential head-coaching openings, including the (Tennessee) Titans’.”

(Also, Trey Wingo had an issue with how Russini promoted her reporting.)

Sarkisian’s agents, Jimmy Sexton and Ed Marynowitz of CAA, issued a statement in response to Russini’s report.

“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.”

And on Saturday night, Sarkisian angrily addressed the report.

“I’d love to touch on this, so bear with me for a second,” Sarkisian began. “It really pisses me off that one person can make a report that, in turn, the entire media sports world runs with as factual. To the point of my agency and my agents have to put a statement out, that they never have done. Historically, CAA, Jimmy Sexton, and Ed Marynowitz have never had to do that. But I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team.”

“And I thought it was absolutely ridiculous,” Sarkisian continued. “I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out. And the fact that everybody ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media. And I respect what you guys do. I really do, and everybody else. But the fact that everybody ran that is truth is really embarrassing.”

“So, I’ve got a small circle when I make decisions on what I do and what I don’t do, and nobody would speak on my behalf without me knowing,” Sarkisian said. “And so, where that report came from, I’d love to talk to that person because it’s absolutely ridiculous.”

This all followed up an incredible comeback victory that No. 22 Texas put together to beat Mississippi State in overtime.

Sarkisian’s name will continue to come up in NFL coaching rumors with the success he’s had at Texas, to go with his NFL background as an offensive coordinator (with the Atlanta Falcons in 2017-18) and quarterbacks coach (with the then-Oakland Raiders in 2004).

About Matt Clapp

Matt is an editor/writer at The Comeback and Awful Announcing.

He can be reached by email at mclapp@thecomeback.com.

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