Sarkisian takes swipe at Desmond Howard while reaffirming commitment to Texas

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian. Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Steve Sarkisian takes clear swipe at Desmond Howard while reaffirming commitment to Texas

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 20, 2025 4:56 PM ET

Some bored college football pundits might speculate about Steve Sarkisian's future while doing chores, but they should consider keeping their thoughts to themselves.

At an SEC news conference on Wednesday, the Texas Longhorns head coach said he plans to stay at the school after ESPN analyst Desmond Howard implied both parties could mutually part ways at the end of the season. Asked Thursday who his comment was directed toward, Sarkisian took an apparent dig at the 1991 Heisman Trophy winner.

Steve Sarkisian tells Desmond Howard, other media members to stop speculating about his future

"Maybe [it's] for some of the pundits out there that don't cover me and cover our program on a regular basis," the coach said, via Zach Dimmitt of Texas on SI. "So that they understand they can't just take their trash out and have a thought to think, 'Hey, I think Texas is going to have a job opening.' I don't know. Think about something else when you are taking your trash out."

The coach didn't name Howard, but it's clear who he meant. In his Monday X post discussing Sarkisian's future, the former Michigan Wolverines wide receiver was taking out his garbage.

Happy Monday AM! A lil sumthin sumthin you can only get here.#justmythoughts pic.twitter.com/sXy9neKUhD
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) November 17, 2025

The usually reserved Sarkisian is clearly growing tired of the chatter about his plans. On Oct. 25, The Athletic's Dianna Russini reported that the coach's camp informed NFL teams, including the Tennessee Titans, that he would be interested in making the jump to the pros. He and his representatives subsequently denied that report.

That said, it's easy to see why Sarkisian may want a potential exit plan. After making two straight College Football Playoff semifinal appearances, some believed the Longhorns would take the next step and win a championship in 2025. Instead, they have backslidden.

Texas, ranked No. 17 in the CFP, is likely out of national title contention following a 35-10 blowout loss to the Georgia Bulldogs in Week 12. The Longhorns (7-3, 4-2 SEC play) are fifth in the SEC heading into their home matchup against the Arkansas Razorbacks (2-8, 0-6 conference play) on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET (ABC).

Texas sophomore QB Arch Manning has yet to develop into an elite passer, which may place even more pressure on Sarkisian, a supposed QB guru. In 10 games, he has completed a slightly above-average 62.7% of his passes for 2,374 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Despite that, Sarkisian doesn't seem ready to bail on Texas. The coach made that clear with his message for Howard and other analysts.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

More must-reads: