Texas football: 4 best candidates to replace Tom Herman not named Urban Meyer

1. Steve Sarkisian, Alabama Offensive Coordinator

Steve Sarkisian has proved that he’s more than ready to earn his second chance as the head coach of a reputable power five conference program such as Texas.

Nick Saban would undoubtedly agree with that assessment.

Sarkisian’s experience as a head coach began at the University of Washington in 2009, where he led the program for five seasons. Sarkisian took over a winless program in 2009 and turned them into a 5-7 team in just 12 months.

Before departing for USC in 2014, Sarkisian led the Huskies to bowl berths in each of his next four seasons and knocked off eight ranked teams.

He returned to Southern Cal in 2014, after previously serving as a quarterbacks coach under Pete Carroll, mentoring future NFL play-callers such as Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, Mark Sanchez, and Matt Cassell. This time as head coach, Sarkisian led the Trojans to a 12-6 record.

Since joining Alabama as its offensive coordinator in 2019, Sarkisian built a playing style that averaged a school-record of 47.2 points and 510.8 yards per game, with Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones as his quarterbacks.

Sarkisian should have no problem bringing his offensive playing style to Austin and implement it with local recruits in the area that fit the system. Of the four coaches mentioned, Sarkisian will have the most flexibility to move and become the Longhorns’ next head coach.

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