"We didn't have the transfer portal": When Steve Sarkisian shared his gratitude for being Texas HC & plight of G5 coaches

In an interview with Josh Pate from May 10, 2024, Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian shared why he was grateful that he joined the team. Sarkisian was hired on Jan. 2, 2021, after two seasons as the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Pate asked Sarkisian if he had considered how he would've dealt with coaching for a G5 team instead of Texas. The college football insider noted that college football changed after he joined, as the NCAA allowed players to transfer and be eligible to play without sitting out for a year in April 2021.

"I got the job here, and college football started to change," Sarkisian said (Timestamp: 22:12). "Like, I remember thinking to myself after when I first got here, we didn't have the transfer portal. I'm like, man, that would have been nice to have had, you know?"

The coach said he couldn't bring in enough players for the 2021 season.

Sarkisian also shared that he spoke with coaches from G5 teams about how they dealt with losing their top players via the transfer portal.

"I do talk to buddies of mine that are coaches at those places, and the idea that year in and year out, they're on this, like, a ladder of, 'OK, here's two, four, six of my players that are literally getting recruited off my team from other schools because, you know, allegedly people don't pre-portal, right?" Sarkisian said (Timetamp: 22:45).

Steve Sarkisian shares the importance of managing players on the roster

Texas Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian pointed out that G5 teams also want players from top programs like his program. Sarkisian said older or underutilized players might transfer to G5 teams for better opportunities. Nevertheless, he discussed why he focuses on managing his roster so that they don't want to leave.

"My biggest thing is, like, that's important (transfer portal)," Sarkisian said (Timestamp: 23:44). "It is, but, man, we got to make sure that we're looking internally, too, and how we're developing our players here, too.

"How we're treating our players here, not only on the field but off the field. How we are developing them because we want to make it as hard as possible for our guys to want to leave."

After signing a contract extension last year, he is set to enter his fifth year with the Longhorns for the 2025 season. The coach will try to take his team to another appearance in the College Football Playoff.