While the Tennessee Titans might not be his ideal destination, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini confirmed that Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is looking to make the jump from college football to the NFL. Having spent 2004 with the Oakland Raiders and 2017-18 with the Atlanta Falcons, Sarkisian has yet to land a head coaching gig with an NFL team.
Sarkisian was the quarterbacks coach with the Raiders in ’04 before going back to the collegiate level. He later made the jump to becoming the Falcons’ offensive coordinator, a stint that didn’t last long at all. Now, he’s looking to return to the NFL, but this time as a head coach.
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
In the midst of quite the 2025 season at Texas, it’s odd for Russini’s announcement to come at this time. The Longhorns are set for their most brutal stretch of the season, so behind the scenes speculation certainly isn’t going to help their case.
Russini wrote, “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’.”
It seems very important that she added, “including the Titans“, as obviously, the Titans are the only team currently with a head coach opening. There will be plenty more in the coming weeks or after the regular season, but Tennessee might not be a place Sarkisian wants to head with the way he’s handling things at Texas. In his career, he’s 89-54 as a head coach at the collegiate level.
Oct 11, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Cotton Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
Currently, Sarkisian is dealing with the highs and lows of the Longhorns 2025 season. They fell short in Week 1 to Ohio State, 14-7, a game they would love to have back. After starting 0-1, they won four straight before shockingly falling to unranked Florida, 29-21.
Since then, they’ve won two straight including a dominant 23-6 win over No. 6 Oklahoma. That win helped them get back into the AP Top 25, though they fell from No. 21 to No. 22 after barely scraping by Kentucky, 16-13 in overtime.
In the next few weeks, Sarkisian will determine the Longhorns fate. Led by quarterback Arch Manning, Texas is set to face No. 10 Vanderbilt, No. 5 Georgia, and No. 3 Texas A&M. Two of those three games are at home, a pivotal advantage for the Longhorns. Should they win out, there’s a chance they can still sneak into the playoffs.
Other than his two NFL gigs, Sarkisian has coached for El Camino, USC, Washington, and Alabama. He’s been with Texas since the 2021 season.