Texas Football: CBS Sports gives near perfect grade on Sark hire

One of the more lauded head coaching hires around the college football landscape in the last few months involved the Texas football program. Back on Jan. 2, Texas officially parted ways with former fourth-year head coach Tom Herman in favor of the former Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator and reigning Broyles Award winner Steve Sarkisian.

Since Sark was hired more than four months ago with the Longhorns as their fourth head coach in the past decade, a lot of excitement was instilled in the program. He’s provided a spark for the Longhorns both on the recruiting trail and in the NCAA Transfer Portal in the four months since he was hired.

According to a piece from Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports from back on April 30, the Longhorns hiring of Sark got a grade of “A” this offseason. Texas hiring Sark got one of the highest grades of any of the FBS hires to date in this CBS Sports piece from Dodd late last month.

The only head coaching hire that got a better grade than the Longhorns bringing Sark aboard was the UCF Knights hiring former Auburn Tigers head coach Gus Malazhn. UCF hired Malzahn to replace their former departed head coach Josh Heupel (who is now in the same position with the Tennessee Volunteers in the SEC East).

More on what CBS had to say on Texas football hiring Steve Sarkisian

There were a few other head coaching hires that CBS Sports graded as an “A-” this offseason. Those included Illinois hiring Bret Bielema, Auburn hiring Bryan Harsin, and Kansas hiring Lance Leipold.

But here’s more on what this piece from Dodd and CBS Sports had to say on the Longhorns hiring Sark as their next head coach.

"In one sense, Sark seems a lot like Tom Herman four years ago — the hottest name left on the board. Championship pedigree. Offensive guy. Texas boosters long ago took their shot at Nick Saban (and missed). Just last month, they took a run at Urban Meyer (and missed). Sarkisian is the next best thing — college football’s best play caller fresh off a national championship. Sark has yet to win 10 games in a season or conference title as a head coach. He is being given every possible resource to do so at Texas."

This piece also mentioned a potential comparison between the coaching tenures of Herman and Sark if the former Alabama offensive coordinator and reigning National Champion isn’t able to find an increased level of success on the Forty Acres. Herman didn’t necessarily post a bad record during his four years as the Texas head coach (32-18), but it didn’t live up to the billing.

Sark also can help his case by continuing to find a prominent level of success on the field and on the recruiting trail. Volatility in those two respects is largely what cost Herman his job as head coach in the end.

Following his departure from Texas, Herman was hired to be an offensive analyst/special projects coach with the Chicago Bears.

Texas finished up last season with a record of 7-3 (5-3 Big 12) under the direction of Herman. Sark wrapped up spring ball back on April 24 and is set to coach his first game with the Longhorns this fall in the regular season opener against the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns at home on Sep. 4.