Texas fires Tom Herman, reportedly tabs Steve Sarkisian as new coach

The Texas Longhorns shocked the college football world on Saturday by firing head coach Tom Herman and reportedly already landing his successor in current Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.

Herman posted a 32-18 record during his four-year tenure, including a 22-13 mark in Big 12 play. The sudden change of direction is particularly surprising since the Longhorns just capped their season with a 55-23 romp over Colorado in the Alamo Bowl.

Chip Brown of 247Sports broke the big news of Sarkisian’s hiring, which marks a stunning comeback and rapid ascent through the coaching ranks following some serious adversity. Athletic director Chris Del Conte confirmed Herman’s dismissal in a statement, part of which is below, courtesy of ESPN.com:

“After much deliberation and a great deal of thought, as I looked back at the totality of where our football program is and in discussing its future, it became apparent that it was in the best interest of The University of Texas to move in a different direction. […] I’m grateful for all Coach Herman has done and the hard work and dedication he and his staff have put in on behalf of our program and student-athletes. I [thank] him for all of his efforts and his service to our institution, and I wish him the best in the future.”

Sarkisian had a decent tenure from 2009 through 2013 with the Washington Huskies before leaving to take the job at USC. After a solid 9-4 campaign to start out, Sarkisian lasted five games into the next season, as he was fired due to substance abuse issues.

Since then, Sarkisian has managed to find his footing. He returned to coaching as an analyst for the Crimson Tide in 2016, then proceeded to embark on a two-year stint as play-caller for the Atlanta Falcons before being fired.

Just when it looked like things weren’t going so well, once again Nick Saban called him up to come back to Tuscaloosa. Since January 2019, Sarkisian has been offensive coordinator at Alabama, dialing up all kinds of explosive plays for the Crimson Tide’s elite unit and helping quarterbacks like Tua Tagovailoa and Mac Jones put up historic numbers in terms of passing efficiency.