Texas Longhorns Athletic Director defends Steve Sarkisian

After a disappointing loss against Kansas, the Texas football program is facing unprecedented criticism. However, athletic director Chris Del Conte quickly jumped to head coach Steve Sarkisian’s defense in this week’s Forty Acres Insider column from the school website.

“Last week had its ups and downs for our Longhorns, and we’re certainly ready to move forward and get right back at it this week,” wrote Del Conte. “At Texas Athletics, we all know it was a devastating way to lose. You all are so passionate about your Longhorns and feel frustrated about how things have gone for five games. Trust me, we’re so disappointed and frustrated, too, but no one is more upset than Coach Sark and the team.”

Chris Del Conte defends Steve Sarkisian

The 57-56 overtime loss made Texas the only Power Five school with two losses against Kansas since 2011. It was a low point for the program, but Chris Del Conte continued defending Steve Sarkisian with some stats on the Longhorns’ struggles.

“This isn’t to cast any blame or make excuses; it’s just factual that we have some real depth issues,” wrote Del Conte. “As injuries mount, it’s even more glaring. When you look at it, 52% of our 2018 signing class and 46% of the 2019 class are no longer here. That’s nearly half of the student-athletes from two classes that were ranked as the third-best in the nation and should be making up the juniors and seniors on our roster today. Overall since 2018, we’ve lost 33 percent of the last four classes. That’s a lot of attrition to manage. And when it rains, it pours. We had 25 guys miss practice last week due to a flu bug and virus and missed three others who were out due to COVID-19 protocols.”

Through the ups and downs of 2021, Texas has accumulated a 4-6 record. With two games against West Virginia and Kansas State, the Longhorns need to win out in order to become bowl eligible. While the short-term looks bleak, Del Conte is focused on Texas’ long-term success.

“Coach Sark is building a culture, he has a tremendous group of coaches with him, and we are providing every ounce of support we can muster to help them redirect our program,” wrote Del Conte. “We have a group of coaches who are proven and have a wealth of experience. They have all succeeded at the highest level. They will help us do that here, too.”