Texas regents approve Steve Sarkisian’s contract extension, raise to more than $10 million

Texas — Steve Sarkisian has become one of college football’s highest-paid coaches, with the University of Texas System Board of Regents granting approval for a raise and contract extension. This move increases Sarkisian’s guaranteed salary to $10.3 million for the current year and extends his contract through 2030.

Following Texas’s victory in the Big 12 last season and their inaugural appearance in the College Football Playoff, Sarkisian’s four-year extension solidifies his position among the coaching elite. The contract includes annual raises of $100,000, elevating his guaranteed salary to $10.9 million by 2030. Additionally, Sarkisian will receive a one-time $300,000 bonus and is entitled to 20 hours of personal use each year on the university’s private plane.

Incentives are also in place for Sarkisian to earn over $1.5 million in bonuses if the Longhorns secure a national championship. The regents’ agenda reveals that these raises represent a substantial 78% overall increase in Sarkisian’s guaranteed compensation compared to his original contract, which had him earning $5.8 million in 2024.

This contract extension, announced in January and now officially approved, comes on the heels of Texas’s impressive 12-2 season, concluding with a No. 3 ranking and a narrow 37-31 loss to Washington in the national semifinal. The Longhorns clinched the Big 12 title in their final season in the league before moving to the Southeastern Conference next season.

With a coaching record of 25-14 in his three seasons at Texas, Sarkisian’s success is recognized with this significant contract extension. The regents also greenlit contract extensions for tight ends coach Jeff Banks, offensive coordinator Kyle Flood, and defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski.