After being the coaching carrousel wonder boy a year ago, Steve Sarkisian is now in prove it mode.
The former Alabama offensive coordinator is looking to have a turnaround season after going 5-7 in his first year as the Texas head coach, and is hopeful the new recruits and transfers brought in will help turn the program around.
His lackluster first season earned him a spot on CBS Sports’ seven coaches under the most pressure for the 2022 season. Here is what they said about Texas’ head coach.
It’s safe to say that after a great run as the offensive coordinator at Alabama, Sarkisian was expected to at least be competent in 2021. Instead, Sark posted a 5-7 record in his debut which included a six-game losing streak and an embarrassing home loss to lowly Kansas. As if that wasn’t enough to get the natives restless in a program starved for success, Sark reeled in the No. 5 recruiting class in the nation during the most recent recruiting cycle and lured former hot-shot quarterback prospect Quinn Ewers away from Ohio State after one season. A little bit of improvement will go a long way for Sark, but his tenure is a bit tenuous at the moment.
It is unlikely that Texas will be battling for a College Football Playoff spot, but it should not be too tall of an ask for them to compete within the Big 12. Even during the six-game losing streak last season, the Longhorns were leading against the top teams before eventually collapsing.
With 2022 being the second year of the Sarkisian era, Texas fans are just looking to see improvements all over the field, which would help take Sarkisian out of the hot seat discussions. It would also provide Texas a major boost on the recruiting trail for the 2023 class.