Steve Sarkisian contract buyout: How much would Texas owe their coach in a termination scenario?

Steve Sarkisian will likely be the head coach of the Texas Longhorns for quite some time due to his hefty contract buyout.

Sarkisian and Texas agreed to a four-year contract extension a couple of months ago, after he was linked to the Alabama Crimson Tide job. The extension increases his pay from $5.8 million to $10.3 million, with an increase of $100,000 every year through 2030.

Along with the pay increase, Sarkisian also has a hefty contract buyout, as Inside Texas received those buyout numbers, which are as follows:

• 2024: $54.4M
• 2025: $45.4M
• 2026: $36.5M
• 2027: $27.5M
• 2028: $18.4M
• 2029: $9.2M

However, if Steve Sarkisian decides to leave Texas on his own accord by resigning or taking another job, that buyout starts at $10 million in 2024, then drops every year except for 2029.

• 2024: $10M
• 2025: $6M
• 2026: $4M
• 2027, $3M
• 2028: $2M
• 2029: $2M
• 2030: $1M

Steve Sarkisian says Texas is a 'destination' job

After the Texas Longhorns and Steve Sarkisian agreed to a contract extension, he said in a statement that he had no thought of leaving the school.

"I said it when I came here three years ago, this is a dream job for me," Sarkisian said in a statement last month.

"It's a destination job, and I'm fired up every day to be the head coach at The University of Texas. We're thrilled with what we've been able to accomplish and proud of the culture we've built and the way our players have grown - on and off the field.

"But we're just getting started. I've said it all along, we've been building this program for long-term success," he added.

Sarkisian has been the head coach at Texas since 2021 and has a record of 25-14 in three seasons. He led the school to a Big 12 championship in 2023 and a spot in the college football playoffs. However, they were defeated in the semi-finals by the Washington Huskies.

Before taking the job at Texas, Sarkisian served as the head coach of USC from 2014 until 2015 and Washington from 2009 until 2013. He also worked as an assistant coach at Alabama and as an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL.