Texas Football: Sark to call offensive plays, not Kyle Flood

A move that is by no means surprising for the Texas football program should now be a known fact on the Forty Acres that newly hired head coach Steve Sarkisian will assume the play calling duties on the new look coaching staff. Texas does have the former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive line coach Kyle Flood on the coaching staff as their offensive line coach/offensive coordinator.

But the play calling duties are to reportedly (per an interview with Sark on The Horn FM) be assumed by the former Alabama offensive coordinator and the reigning Broyles Award winner. Sark largely landed this job due to his ability to develop and scheme up the Alabama offense of late, and get the Longhorns offense headed in the right direction in the near future.

Just because Sark is to assume the play calling duties for the Longhorns offense does not mean that Flood won’t play an integral role in the scheming on this side of the ball, though. Sark mentioned in his interview this week with The Horn FM that he will “lean” on Flood for the blocking schemes and formulation of the rushing attack.

Sark on the Texas football play calling

Sark is more well known for his concoction of plays and schemes for the passing game more so than with blocking schemes and development in the ground game. That’s where the likes of running backs coach Stan Drayton and Flood will come in handy for his on-field coaching staff.

All in all, this will be a very different looking Texas offensive staff, and offensive scheme, in 2021. Texas parted ways with now former fourth-year head coach Tom Herman back on Jan. 2 in favor of hiring Sark as his replacement. And they also parted ways with the likes of former offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich and offensive line coach/co-offensive coordinator Herb Hand earlier in the offseason.

Sark helped the Crimson Tide rank second in the FBS during the 2020 season, averaging 48.5 points per game, on their way to winning the College Football Playoff National Championship Game last month over the Ohio State Buckeyes in dominant fashion. The Alabama offense also averaged around 542 total yards per game, 28 first downs, and eight yards per play during the 2020 season, under Sark’s guidance.

Last season, Texas finished up with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12), under the direction of the now former head coach Herman. Their last game resulted in a dominant 55-23 win over the Colorado Buffaloes in the Alamo Bowl back on Dec. 29.