The University of Texas is rolling out the burnt orange carpet for Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian with a mammoth contract extension that's got more green than a field at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. As reported by KXAN, the university's system board of regents is poised to approve a contract on Feb. 20-21 that would extend Sarkisian's tenure through 2030 and hike his base salary to a hefty $10.3 million for the 2024 season. This figure represents a near doubling from the previous $5.8 million he was expected to haul in initially.
Pending board approval, this financial vote of confidence sees Sarkisian's annual pay increase by $100,000 each successive year, which would culminate in an eye-popping $10.9 million by the end of his contract. After reeling in nearly twice his original salary, it's clear Texas isn't skimping on the investment in their football program's future. This move comes after Sarkisian took the Longhorns to the pinnacle of college sports, their first-ever College Football Playoff, as noted by Chron.com. Though they were eventually overthrown by Washington in the Sugar Bowl, Texas displayed its might with a season that included a significant victory at Alabama.
But the riches don't stop with Sarkisian. The extended contract serves up a platter of lucrative incentives that could tack on an extra $1.85 million to his yearly payout. This includes bonuses ranging from $100,000 for making a non-CFP bowl game to a lordly $1.25 million if the Longhorns win the CFP national championship. However, these bonuses aren't cumulative; Sarkisian gets the amount for the highest level achieved by the team, period. With Texas set to join the shark-infested waters of the SEC, Sarkisian's bonus schedule aligns with his feats, rewarding $150,000 and $300,000 for playing in and winning the SEC championship game, respectively.
The board is anticipated to bump the pay for three of Sarkisian's assistant coaches, including offensive coordinator Kyle Flood and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski, who's reported by KXAN to make a cool $1.8 million come 2024. All three assistants will enjoy a raise in their base salaries over the next few years, following in their footsteps in support of the head coach and engineering a comeback from a series of tough seasons since 2013 for the Texas Longhorns.
Steve Sarkisian meanwhile has been pretty clear about his commitment to the program and Texas. "This is a dream job for me," he said. "It's a destination job, and I'm fired up every day to be the head coach at The University of Texas." This sentiment assures Longhorns fans that their coach is here to stay. And with a wallet set to expand nearly as much as Texas' ambitions, it looks like Sarkisian isn't just keeping his eyes on the prize.
