Whoever said money can’t buy happiness was probably an Aggie. For Texas football fans, the price tag is more than $80 million over the next seven years for Head Coach Steve Sarkisian.
The University of Texas System Board of Regents signed off on a 3.85% raise for Sarkisian on Thursday. That will, this year alone, boost his guaranteed compensation from $10,400,000 to $10,800,000. By 2031, which would be the 12th year of his contract with UT Austin, Sarkisian stands to make a base salary of $12.3 million.
The regents approved the pay increase after Sarkisian steered the Longhorns to a dominant first season in the Southeastern Conference. The only team Texas lost to during the regular season was Georgia. The Bulldogs bested the Longhorns again in the SEC Championship Game. In fact, Georgia’s head coach Kirby Smart is one of only two college football coaches who had a higher salary than Sarkisian last year. The other was Clemson’s Dabo Swinney.
On top of the SEC Championship, Sarkisian also led the Longhorns to their second consecutive appearance in the College Football Playoff Semifinals where the team fell to Ohio State. Overall, Sarkisian has a 38-17 record in his first four seasons with Texas.
The UT Board of Regents also approved new contract terms for two of Sarkisian’s assistant coaches. Jeff Banks, who is the special teams coordinator and tight ends coach, is getting another year tacked onto his contract with a salary of $1.3 million for the 2027 season. Top defensive coach Johnny Nansen is also getting a raise and a one-year contract extension. He’s set to make $1.2 million during the 2026 season.
Football coaches weren’t the only ones who got a raise this week. The Board of Regents also approved a pay raise and contract extension for Women’s Basketball Coach Vic Schaefer. His contract previously lasted through fiscal year 2026-27 with a base salary of $2.3 million. Now, his contract will run through 2029-30. During that season, he's set to earn a base salary of $2.6 million.
So far this season, Schaefer has led the Longhorns to a 26-2 overall record. The team, which is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest Associated Press Poll, has a 12-1 record against other SEC teams. The Longhorns' dominance in the SEC follows a banner final season in the Big 12 during which the team won the conference’s championship game. The team also advanced to the Elite Eight last season.
