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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian had a win over Mississippi State on Saturday, but it wasn’t a happy postgame press conference for him.
Not only did quarterback Arch Manning suffer an injury in the overtime win, but a report emerged Saturday morning from The Athletic stating that Sarkisian’s representatives “have let NFL decision-makers know he would be interested in potential head coaching openings, including [Tennessee] Titans.”
While Sarkisian’s agents slammed the report, calling it “obviously false and wildly inaccurate,” the man himself took time after the game to discuss it.
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FILE – Texas tight end Jordan Washington (84), coach Steve Sarkisian, defensive end Barryn Sorrell (88) and quarterback Quinn Ewers (3) celebrate with their team after defeating Arkansas in an NCAA college football game Saturday, Nov. 16, 2024, in Fayetteville, Arkansas. (AP Photo/Michael Woods, File)
“I would love to touch on this, so bear with me for a moment, because it really pisses me off that one person can make a report that the entire media and sports world runs on as factual, to the point that my agency and my agents had to put out a statement that they’ve never historically done,” Sarkisian told OrangeBloods.com.
“CAA, Jimmy Sexton, Ed Marynowitz never did that. But I had to do it to protect my locker room and my team, and I thought it was absolutely ridiculous.
ARCH MANNING HURT DURING TEXAS’ DRAMATIC COMEBACK WIN OVER MISSISSIPPI STATE
“I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out, and the fact that everyone ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media.”
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian reacts in the second quarter against the Georgia Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Austin, Texas. (Alex Slitz/Getty Images)
Sarkisian added that he has a “small circle when I make decisions about what I do and what I don’t do.” But he’s focused on his Longhorns, who are now 6-2 and ranked No. 22 in the country.
Sarkisian has been the head coach of the Longhorns since 2021 and has led them to a 44-19 record over his tenure thus far. Texas was the preseason No. 1, but Manning and the Longhorns’ offense have struggled to be as consistent as many thought they would this year.
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian speaks during SEC Football Media Days at the Omni Dallas Hotel on July 17, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
Still, there is hope for another College Football Playoff appearance as Texas made it in 2024.
