Excitement is building in Austin as the Texas Longhorns prepare to return to the field next month, aiming to build on last season’s impressive 13-win campaign. A key reason for that excitement, outside of the anticipation for quarterback Arch Manning, is the culture that head coach Steve Sarkisan has built since his arrival in 2021. While his first season was poor, finishing 5-7 overall, once he had time to bring in his own recruits and build the culture that he envisioned, he's turned the Longhorns into one of the best programs in college football and back-to-back semifinal appearances in the College Football Playoffs is a growing example of that.
Texas Makes Steve Sarkisian Announcement on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Excitement is building in Austin as the Texas Longhorns prepare to return to the field next month, aiming to build on last season’s impressive 13-win campaign.
A key reason for that excitement, outside of the anticipation for quarterback Arch Manning, is the culture that head coach Steve Sarkisan has built since his arrival in 2021.
While his first season was poor, finishing 5-7 overall, once he had time to bring in his own recruits and build the culture that he envisioned, he's turned the Longhorns into one of the best programs in college football and back-to-back semifinal appearances in the College Football Playoffs is a growing example of that.
Since taking over in 2021, Steve Sarkisian has led Texas to records of 8–5, 12–2, and 13–3. Prior to Sarkisian’s arrival, the last time the Longhorns finished a season with fewer than three losses was back in 2009 under longtime head coach Mack Brown.
On Monday, Texas announced some big news regarding their head coach, revealing that Sarkisan has been one of the coaches named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List.
Coach Sark has been named to the 2025 Dodd Trophy Preseason Watch List 🤘@CoachSark x @thedoddtrophypic.twitter.com/cDZGoOIzP9
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) July 7, 2025
The Dodd Trophy, awarded annually to the top head coach in Division I football, was earned in 2024 by Notre Dame's Marcus Freeman. Freeman led the Fighting Irish to the national championship game, where they ultimately fell to the Ohio State Buckeyes—the same team that eliminated Texas in the semifinals.
As for Steve Sarkisian and the Longhorns, they'll open the 2025 season on August 30 with a high-stakes showdown in Columbus against those same Buckeyes. It will be a major early test for both programs—but especially for Arch Manning, who will be making his first true road start as Texas’ full-time starting quarterback.
Related: Texas Makes Arch Manning Announcement on Wednesday
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
