Texas coach Steve Sarkisian gets raise, extension after consecutive years in CFP

The University of Texas System Board of Regents approved a raise and contract extension for football coach Steve Sarkisian on Thursday after the Longhorns advanced to the College Football Playoff semifinals for the second consecutive season.

The new deal extends Sarkisian’s contract by one year through the 2031 season. It raises his salary this year from $10.4 million to $10.8 million. Annual raises will push his salary to $12.3 million by the final year.

The regents also approved raises and one-year contract extensions for special teams coordinator Jeff Banks and linebackers coach Johnny Nansen. Banks is extended to 2027 when he will earn $1.3 million. Nansen was extended to 2026, when he will earn $1.2 million.

Texas was the only program to make the CFP in each of the last two seasons. The Longhorns reached No. 1 at midseason in 2024 for the first time in 16 years, and played in the Southeastern Conference championship in their first season in the league.

Sarkisian, 50, is 38-17 in four seasons at Texas, and the Longhorns will be among a handful of teams expected to contend for the national championship again next season with Arch Manning set to take over as the starting quarterback.

The son of Cooper Manning, the grandson of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the nephew of Super Bowl-winning QBs Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch Manning was 2-0 as a starter this season filling in for injured Quinn Ewers. He passed for 939 yards and nine touchdowns and ran for four TDs.

Ewers declared for the NFL draft after three seasons as the Texas starter. Ewers was among 14 Texas players invited to the NFL draft combine.

___

Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football