Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian wasn’t pleased earlier this season when The Athletic‘s Dianna Russini reported he was interested in leaving the Longhorns for the NFL.
“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 that my agency and my agents have to put a statement out,” Sarkisian said following an epic comeback win over Mississippi State. “I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team. I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. 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.”
Fast forward just a few weeks and the Sarkisian rumors are once again making headlines.
This time it was former college football star and current College GameDay analyst Desmond Howard, who floated the idea of Sarkisian leaving Texas in a “mutual parting of ways” after the season.
“Don’t be surprised if that Texas job opens up at the end of the season,” Howard said on social media. “You guys were shocked when LSU opened up. Imagine how you’re going to feel if that job in Austin pops open. I’m not calling or saying anyone’s going to get fired, maybe a mutual parting of ways.”
Unsurprisingly his prediction sparked rumors of Sarkisian potentially leaving at the end of the season and those rumors found their way to Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte who responded with a firm message.
“This is news to me… Thanks for the insight,” he said with a pointing emoji and a face palm emoji.
Texas closes out the season against Arkansas and No. 3 Texas A&M and needs to win out if it has any hope of making the College Football Playoff.
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