Texas coach Steve Sarkisian tabbed George Munger Award finalist

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian has been named a finalist for the George Munger College Coach of the Year Award, the Maxwell Football Club announced Tuesday. It’s the second-straight season Sarkisian has been selected as a finalist for the award.

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Sarkisian has led the Longhorns to an 12-2 record, an SEC Championship Game appearance and a College Football Playoff First Round victory in Texas’ second-consecutive College Football Playoff appearance. Texas has back-to-back 12-plus win seasons for the first time since 2008-09. It’s the program’s fifth 12-plus win season (2005, 2008, 2009, 2023, 2024). The Horns sport an 11-game true road game winning streak – the longest active streak by an FBS team. Since the start of the 2023 season, Texas is 24-4 with only four losses against AP top-12 opponents. In Texas’ last 30 games, the Longhorns are 25-5 with their only five losses also to AP top-12 opponents.

Under Sarkisian’s guidance, Texas’ offense ranks No. 6 in the FBS in first down offense (317), 14th in completion percentage (66.5 percent), 15th in total offense (448.9 ypg), 15th in team passing efficiency (154.52), 17th in passing offense (275.4) and 24th in scoring offense (33.9 ppg). The Texas offense has rushed for over 100 yards in 12-of-14 games, and three different Longhorn running backs have each registered at least one 100-yard effort. Through 14 games, Texas’ offense is averaging 6.3 yards per play. UT is averaging 173.5 yards on the ground per game and 4.6 yards per carry with 25 rushing scores. The Longhorns have scored on 35 passing touchdowns.

Junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., a unanimous first-team All-America selection, became the first Longhorn to win both the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in the same season. It marked the second-straight year, and fifth time overall, the Longhorns have claimed the Outland Trophy with defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat earning the honor last season. Texas is the first school to claim back-to-back Outland Trophies since Nebraska won three in a row in 1981-83, but UT is the only program to have back-to-back winners on both sides of the ball.

Junior QB Quinn Ewers, a second-team All-SEC performer and finalist for the Manning Award, has completed 250-of-376 passes (66.5 percent) for 2,876 yards and 26 touchdowns while averaging 238.9 yards per contest in 12 starts. Ewers sits 13th in the FBS in passing touchdowns (26), 22nd in completion percentage (66.5 percent), 26th in completions per game (20.83), and 28th in passing efficiency (148). Ewers boasts a 25-game passing touchdown streak – the longest active streak by an FBS quarterback and the second-longest streak in program history behind Colt McCoy’s program-record 29 games. The Southlake, Texas, product ranks third and fourth in the program’s record book in passing touchdowns (62) and passing yards (8,523), respectively.

The Longhorns boast one of the nation’s most elite and dominant defenses in 2024. Texas leads the FBS in turnovers gained (29) and passes intercepted (20). In addition, UT ranks No. 2 in the FBS in scoring defense (13.3 ppg), team passing efficiency defense (100.38) and passing yards allowed (156.9). Texas sits third in the FBS in total defense (261.1), fifth in third-down conversion percentage defense (30.2), sixth in red zone defense (71) and 10th in rushing defense (104.2). UT shut out opponents in the first half in three of the last four games to cap the regular season – all conference opponents.

Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron, who has also earned consensus first-team All-America praise, became the program’s third Jim Thorpe Award winner this season. Barron is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the nation, consistently playing multiple positions in the Texas defensive backfield, while providing leadership as a fifth-year veteran. Through 14 games, the Austin, Texas, native leads the Longhorns in interceptions (5) and pass break-ups (11) to go along with 50 total tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, two quarterback hurries and one forced fumble. Barron paces the SEC and ranks fourth in the FBS in total interceptions this season.

Earlier this season, Sarkisian was also named to the watch lists for the Dodd Trophy and Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year awards.

Sarkisian is one of eight finalists up for the award. The winner of the 2024 George Munger Award will be announced on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2025.

The formal presentation of the George Munger Coach of the Year Award will be held on Friday, March 14, 2025, at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta. The Maxwell Football Club will also be presenting its other national awards from high school through the professional ranks at the event.

2024 George Munger Award Finalists

Kenny Dillingham – Arizona State

Spencer Danielson – Boise State

Kirby Smart – Georgia

Curt Cignetti – Indiana

Marcus Freeman – Notre Dame

Dan Lanning – Oregon

James Franklin – Penn State

Steve Sarkisian – Texas

Up next, the Longhorns travel to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff Quarterfinal at the 57th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedez-Benz Stadium. Texas will take on fourth-seed Arizona State at Noon CT on Wednesday, Jan. 1. The game will broadcast on ESPN with Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Katie George (reporter) on the call.