Oct 18, 2025; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian is interviewed by the media after the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Kroger Field. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has long been viewed as one of the top offensive minds in the sport.

He had successful stints calling plays at USC and Alabama, winning a national title in 2020 with the latter, and that success has followed him to Austin. At least, until this season.

The Longhorns have one of the nation's top defenses but are 4-2 on the season and narrowly survived in overtime against Kentucky on Saturday night. The offensive woes under first-year starting quarterback Arch Manning have been the main reason the preseason No. 1 team has had a disappointing start to the season.

Amid those struggles, there have been rumors that Sarkisian could give up play-calling duties, but during his press conference on Monday ahead of a Week 9 matchup against Mississippi State, he explained in frank terms why he won't be doing that.

“No, because that’s why I got hired,” Sarkisian said when asked if he would try someone else at play-caller. “I was a really good offensive coordinator. I believe in what we’re able to do. Every year, we have to continually evolve. There’s years where we’re going to be better on offense than we are on defense. There’s going to be years where we’re better on defense than we are on offense.

“It’s like, if I was the best outside sales guy and I had a start-up company, surely I’m going to go to the sales meetings if I’m trying to sell something. If that’s one of your strengths, I’m always going to tap in to the strengths that I have. Being a play-caller on offense is one of my strengths. Some may disagree, and that’s okay.”

Head coaches who call plays on either side of the ball are becoming increasingly rare in college football. Some coaches who previously called plays, notably Missouri's Eli Drinkwitz, have opted to delegate those duties. In Mizzou's case, the team has been more successful since Drinkwitz made that call.

Sarkisian is heavily respected as an offensive coordinator, and there are several reasons Texas' offense is underachieving — namely, Manning's struggles, an offensive line that has taken a big step back and a run game that hasn't gotten off the ground in 2025.

Still, with those struggles clearly apparent as the Longhorns get into the meat of the SEC schedule, they'll need to find a way to improve if they're going to compete for the College Football Playoff as was expected.

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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Steve Sarkisian explains why he will remain Texas' play-caller

Reporting by Tyler Nettuno, College Sports Wire / College Sports Wire

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