Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte is known for being the life of the party. He has funnier one-liners than Rodney Dangerfield in his prime. Del Conte has more stories than a pirate with a treasure map and a parrot with loose lips. He commands more attention than a magician pulling rabbits out of a hat at a kids’ party.
Del Conte arrived at Texas in 2017 and wondered, “Why the heck is the football atmosphere so boring?” He created Bevo Blvd and a lively atmosphere outside the stadium. Del Conte added carnival rides and games outside of DKR. He is the innovator of Longhorn City Limits, a concert series that brings in top artists from various genres across the country. He is responsible for uniting the student section and creating a lively environment inside what was previously a dull stadium. A massive jumbotron, LED lights, the South End Zone, and drones? Clearly, Del Conte was in charge of entertaining the citizens of Rome in the Colosseum during a past life.
However, don’t let the fun and games fool you. Del Conte is also a shrewd businessman. Del Conte and University of Texas System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife are a lethal duo who have taken this athletic department to new heights. They were the driving forces behind moving Texas out of the Big 12 and into the Southeastern Conference—a move nobody saw coming but one that secured this athletic program’s future. Del Conte and Eltife hired baseball coach Jim Schlossnagle away from Texas A&M. Additionally, they were the men who took a chance on an offensive coordinator from Alabama and handed him the keys to the Lamborghini in Austin.
More importantly, allow me to tell you how their swift response slammed the door in the faces of NFL teams interested in Sarkisian.
Texas was a “good” program before Steve Sarkisian was hired on January 2, 2021.
The Longhorns had four winning seasons under Tom Herman.
They never lost a bowl game.
Texas had a Sugar Bowl win.
Again, it was a “good” program.
Del Conte and Eltife were not satisfied with “good.”
They wanted the football program to be “great.”
Sarkisian was kicking ass and taking names as an offensive coordinator at Alabama. He was learning under Nick Saban, arguably the greatest football coach of all time. Whenever Del Conte and Eltife asked for recommendations, the name they kept hearing was Sarkisian’s.
Look, they could have hired a coach who checked every box. They could have money-whipped any head coach—NFL or college—to come to Texas. However, they decided to give Sarkisian a second chance at coaching and let’s just say they were not instantly rewarded for their decision.
First season, 5–7.
What the heck?
But when you’re tearing down the foundation and building from scratch, it’s not pretty.
One thing I’ve always respected about Sarkisian: he never complained about what he inherited. Charlie Strong complained about the players he inherited from Mack Brown. Herman complained about the players he inherited from Strong. I remember one occasion when Sarkisian noted that the roster wasn’t constructed the way he would have done it—Texas had around 10 receivers on scholarship—but he said he’d work with it. He embraced the new players as if he had recruited them from day one. Sarkisian showed them care and concern. He was transparent. The man was, and still is, honest with his players.
And success eventually followed.
Texas finished 8–5 in 2022.
A step in the right direction.
The breakthrough came in 2023.
Texas won a Big 12 Championship, advanced to the College Football Playoffs, and finished 12–2.
As Texas entered this season, the biggest question surrounding the program was whether it could handle the big and bad SEC.
As Texas prepared to face Ohio State in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs, the Longhorns were the only SEC team still standing.
Texas finished 13-3 and advanced to the semifinals in back-to-back seasons.
The college football world took notice.
So did the NFL.
According to multiple sources, two NFL teams were actively pursuing Sarkisian after the Longhorns’ season ended. I was told Dallas was interested in Sarkisian.
However, I was also told another NFL team was even more interested than Dallas and ready to make Sarkisian their next head coach. My sources withheld the name of that team to protect them—sometimes that’s how it goes in this industry.
Del Conte was made aware of the whispers and began digging last week, according to sources. That’s when he discovered there were NFL teams prepared to steal his coach.
Yes, I know what some Longhorn fans might say:
There’s no way Sark would have ever left.
There isn’t a better job than Texas.
Sarkisian would never leave Arch Manning.
Del Conte refused to take that risk.
In athletics, sometimes when your coach receives an enticing job offer, it’s too late to convince them to stay.
I was told Del Conte and Eltife simply asked Sarkisian, “What do you need?”
They immediately reworked Sarkisian’s contract. And of course, he will earn more money.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel said: “Texas has agreed to a new seven-year deal for Steve Sarkisian, which adds a year to his deal and includes a significant raise, per a source. He remains one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport, as he’d ranked No. 3 at $10.6 million.”
What else?
Sarkisian wanted to take care of his staff.
Done.
I was told Texas’ Brandon Harris will become one of the highest-paid general managers in college football. One source said Harris will be paid more than $500,000—a significant increase from the $264,500 salary reported by USA Today in December.
Additionally, multiple members of Sarkisian’s support staff will receive raises. Expect the specifics to be revealed in February when the Board of Regents meets (February 19–20).
Sarkisian is locked in.
Longhorn Nation doesn’t have to worry about Sarkisian becoming the next Jim Harbaugh to the NFL—minus the sign-stealing controversy.
Nobody needs to worry about Sarkisian becoming the next Brian Kelly and suddenly developing a fake accent at a new school.
Nobody needs to worry about Sarkisian becoming the next Lincoln Riley (I’ll let Oklahoma fans finish that sentence).
Texas was a “good” program before Sarkisian.
Texas is a “great” program now.
Miami will host the 2026 national championship game.
Hopefully, for Longhorn fans, Del Conte will have a Longhorn get-together in South Beach.
He will be the life of the party.
