Steve Sarkisian earns a top-five ranking among On3's top 25 head coaches
Last month, On3 national college football columnist Jesse Simonton ranked Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian as the No. 4 head coach in the Southeastern Conference. A newcomer to lists like these, Simonton (as well as a number of national outlets) have noted Sarkisian’s successes at Texas as an indication that the former Washington and USC head coach has evolved and improved since his time in Seattle and in Los Angeles.
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And to a certain extent, even since he started in Austin. Texas was 5-7 during his first season before going 8-5 in 2022. Then in 2023, it all came together with a Big 12 Championship (the program’s first since 2009) and an appearance in the final scheduled iteration of the four-team College Football Playoff.
As a result of those new marks on his resume, Simonton ranked Sarkisian as the No. 5 head coach in college football entering 2024.
Here is what Simonton had to say about Sarkisian, who is entering his fourth season at Texas.
5. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Sarkisian won 10 games for the first time in his career in 2023, resurrecting the Longhorns’ program back to national prominence by winning the Big 12 and making the CFP. He’s arguably the best play-caller in college football and is certainly one of the top offensive minds.
After failed stints at Washington and USC, Sarkisian is building a monster at Texas. He’s recruiting top classes and is aggressively utilizing the transfer portal. It seems a matter of when, not if, he’ll become a national champion head coach.
Sarkisian’s fifth place standing is one spot lower than his SEC ranking, with only Ohio State’s Ryan Day ahead of him from a conference outside of the SEC.
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Here is Simonton’s top 25…
- Kirby Smart, Georgia
- Brian Kelly, LSU
- Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
- Ryan Day, Ohio State
- Steve Sarkisian, Texas
- Dabo Swinney, Clemson
- Mike Norvell, Florida State
- Kyle Whittingham, Utah
- Lincoln Riley, USC
- Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss
- Dan Lanning, Oregon
- Lance Leipold, Kansas
- James Franklin, Penn State
- Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
- Jamey Chadwell, Liberty
- Chris Klieman, Kansas State
- Josh Heupel, Tennessee
- Luke Fickell, Wisconsin
- Kirk Ferentz, Iowa
- Jeff Brohm, Louisville
- Matt Rhule, Nebraska
- Jonathan Smith, Michigan State
- Dave Doeren, NC State
- Jeff Traylor, UTSA
- Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
