2. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
When Texas hired Steve Sarkisian back in 2021, it was one of those moves that really shocked me. No, I don't think Sarkisian is a bad coach, but he hadn't led a program since 2015 when USC fired him following a 3-2 start. He hadn't been a head coach for six years and one of the top programs in the country hired him after letting go of Tom Herman.
It was a shock. Even Lane Kiffin had to go the Group of Five route after being an Alabama assistant under Nick Saban before taking a Power Five job again.
But Sarkisian took over and struggled in year one with a program that needed a makeover after Herman. He went 5-7 and then turned it around in 2022 with an 8-5 record. The 2023 season was much more impressive as he went 12-2 and led the Longhorns to their first-ever College Football Playoff appearance, losing to Washington in the semifinal.
Sarkisian is a solid head coach and probably one of the better recruiters in the nation, but it's easy to recruit at Texas -- kids grow up dreaming to play for the Longhorns. The school has a ton of NIL money, too, so recruiting is that much easier in Austin.
There has been talk that Sarkisian is a top-three coach in the SEC already, but I just can't agree with that since he's had just one 10-plus-win season in his entire career. Let's pump the breaks.