Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian took the podium first at the SEC Spring Meetings in Destin, Florida, on Tuesday, May 26. Among other things, he talked about a coach who got fired last year.

Sarkisian was speaking about CFP expansion and the win-now culture it has created when he brought up a midseason firing without naming anyone.

"I watched a coach get fired five games into a season last year after being in the semifinals the year before. That's concerning to me about the health of our sport," College Football Insider Pete Nakos of On3 reported May 26.

Last season, more than 10 head coaches were fired across college football, per CBS Sports. The comment spread fast on X, and fans were quick to point out who they believed Sarkisian was talking about.

Many pointed to James Franklin, fired six games into 2025 after taking Penn State to the CFP semifinals the year before.

Texas entered 2025 as the consensus preseason No. 1 team and walked away with a 10-3 record and no playoff berth, per SI.com. For many fans, that made Sarkisian the wrong person to raise this conversation.

Fans Were Split on Whether Sarkisian Had a Point

When the comment spread on X, the replies went in every direction. Some agreed with what he was saying. Many felt he should look closer to home first.

"If Texas lost to an 0-4 Mississippi St team and then dropped a home game to Kentucky on homecoming in a season where they were favorites to win a natty, I'm sure the big oil donors would be thrilled," one fan wrote.

Texas entered 2025 as the preseason No. 1 team but finished 10-3 and missed the College Football Playoff entirely. For many, that made the comment land differently than Sarkisian may have intended.

"He's concerned he might get fired this year for running the program into the ground," one fan said.

Some did not hold back on what they really thought Sarkisian's concern was about.

"That's why you coaches are getting massive multimillion-dollar guaranteed contracts. You can literally sign one contract, coach only 2 of the 5 years of it, and be set for the rest of your life. What's the problem?" another pointed out.

Not everyone saw it that way. Some felt the broader point about coaching job security was worth having regardless of who was making it.

"With NIL, you can't afford to miss the playoffs anymore. You can build your team very fast now. So there can't be any letdown. No room for error," another fan wrote.

A few felt the coaching carousel problem Sarkisian described was real, but bigger than just one firing. Multiple coaches were let go midseason in 2025, including LSU's Brian Kelly and Penn State's Franklin.

"It's not healthy. It's terminal if you ask me. And coaches being fired is just the tip of the iceberg," one fan added.

Others brought it back to basics, arguing that performance is what keeps anyone in a job, whether you coach football or sell cars.

"High performance leads to higher expectations. If a star salesman stopped making sales, he'd get canned too," another wrote.

For all the debate the comment sparked, one thing fans on both sides agreed on was that the pressure in college football is not going anywhere anytime soon.

What do you think about Sarkisian's comments on college football's coaching culture? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore