Texas football: Steve Sarkisian to remain among college football's highest-paid coaches

Texas football: Steve Sarkisian to remain among college football’s highest-paid coaches

Posted by author February 15, 2025 Football

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Under a contract extension that he agreed to last month, Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian will remain one of the highest-paid coaches in the country.

This upcoming week, the Texas Board of Regents will be asked to approve an amended contract that will give Sarkisian a pay raise of 3.85%. That will increase his guaranteed compensation in 2025 by $400,000 to $10.8 million.

The extension also added a year to Sarkisian’s contract. He is set to make $12.3 million in 2031.

Over four years at Texas, Sarkisian has compiled a 38-17 record. The 50-year-old coach led Texas to the College Football Playoff semifinals during the 2023 and 2024 season. Texas won a Big 12 championship in 2023 and was the Southeastern Conference’s runner-up this past season.

Under this proposed deal, Sarkisian will become a $11-million coach by 2026. That will be his sixth season with the Longhorns.

2025: $10,800,00
2026: $11,050,000
2027: $11,300,000
2028: $11,550,000
2029: $11,800,000
2030: $12,050,000
2031: $12,300,000

According to the USA TODAY database for coaching salaries, Georgia’s Kirby Smart was the only coach who made more than $12 million in 2024. ESPN reported earlier this month that Ohio State’s Ryan Day had agreed to an extension that will make him college football’s second-highest-paid coach and pay him $12.5 million annually.

According to USA TODAY, Sarkisian was the third-highest-paid coach this past season. His total pay was $10.6 million, which included $300,000 in bonuses.

This week, the Texas regents will also be asked to rubber-stamp extensions for two of UT’s assistant coaches. Jeff Banks, the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, has agreed to a one-year extension that will keep him at Texas through the 2027 season. Johnny Nansen, who joined Texas this past season as the team’s co-defensive coordinator, is set to receive a pay increase and a one-year extension through the 2026 season.

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