The University of Texas is about to roll out the burnt-orange carpet for head coach Steve Sarkisian, who's steered the Longhorns to their most successful run in recent years. According to a report from KENS 5, Sarkisian's contract extension is set to pour an annual salary increase from $5.8 million in 2024 to a thundering $10.3 million. If the deal passes muster at the Feb. 21-22 meeting of the UT Board of Regents, he'll secure a place among college football's financial elite.
Noteworthy beyond the salary bump is an array of perks fit for a king—or at least a coach who's brought home a Big 12 championship and a College Football Playoff berth. Two dealer cars, 20 hours of private plane access, country club membership, and a heap of tickets are all part of the high-flying package. The eye-watering numbers reflect a steady improvement under Sarkisian, from 5-7 in his debut season to an 12-2 record and a No. 3 rank in the final AP Poll, as noted in a story by MSN Sports.
Chairman of the UT System Board of Regents, Kevin Eltife, heralded Sarkisian’s accomplishments and the expectations they confer. “Coach Sark is an incredible coach, a first-class person, and a tremendous leader of men,” Eltife said in a statement obtained by MSN Sports. “We knew he was the man for the job when we hired him three years ago, and the way he stuck to the plan he laid out for us, stayed the course in putting everything in place, and got our football program back among the best in the nation has been phenomenal. What a year it was in 2023, winning the final Big 12 Championship and taking us to the CFP for the first time, and we know the best is yet to come.”
Regarding performance incentives, Sarkisian’s new contract isn't chump change; it includes up to $1.85 million annually on offer for milestones ranging from bowl appearances to a national championship win, as detailed by KENS 5. The Longhorns faithful will be praying those incentives, which scale from the gridiron equivalent of a layup ($150,000 for a conference championship appearance) to the slam dunk of a CFP national championship ($1.25 million), become a regular part of Sarkisian's payouts. He's already demonstrated the ability to push Texas back into the spotlight; only time will tell if that trend holds steady enough to turn high-cost contracts into high-value investments.
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