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Steve Sarkisian went on a furious tirade at the media after 'ridiculous' and 'embarrassing' reports claimed the Texas coach is eyeing a move to the NFL.
On Saturday, ahead of the Longhorns' clash with Mississippi State, The Athletic reported that Sarkisian's representatives have told NFL teams that he would be interested in potential jobs.
The 51-year-old is currently in his fifth season with Texas but it was claimed that his agents have reached out to teams including the Tennessee Titans, who are 1-6 and currently without a permanent head coach.
Sarkisian failed to hide his frustration as he addressed the rumors after quarterback Arch Manning helped the Longhorns secure a dramatic comeback win over Mississippi State.
'I’d love to touch on this, so bear with me for a second,' Sarkisian began. 'It really p***es me off that one person can make a report that, in turn, the entire media sports world runs with as factual.
'To the point [that] my agency and my agents have to put a statement out, that they never have done. Historically, CAA, Jimmy Sexton, and Ed Marynowitz have never had to do that. But I had to do that to protect my locker room and my team.'
Steve Sarkisian went on a furious tirade at the media about 'embarrassing' reports on his job
With Arch Manning at quarterback, the Texas Longhorns are now 6-2 for the season
He continued: 'I thought it was absolutely ridiculous... I thought it was completely unprofessional of that person to put that report out. And the fact that everybody ran with it is borderline embarrassing for the media.
'And I respect what you guys do. I really do, and everybody else. But the fact that everybody ran that is truth is really embarrassing.
'I’ve got a small circle when I make decisions on what I do and what I don’t do, and nobody would speak on my behalf without me knowing... so, where that report came from, I’d love to talk to that person because it’s absolutely ridiculous.'
Texas is now 6-2 for the season after a miraculous comeback against Mississippi State. Sarkisian's team came back from 17 points down in the fourth quarter to win 45-38 in overtime.
Manning's backup Matthew Caldwell tossed the game-winning touchdown for Texas after the starting quarterback - the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning - suffered an apparent upper body injury in overtime.
Manning was hurt at the end of a 13-yard scramble, allowing Caldwell to step up to throw a 10-yard pass to Emmett Mosley. Mississippi State fumbled on its final possession, securing the win for Texas.
