Will Stein is in his first year as the Kentucky Wildcats' head coach, and he has already surpassed expectations, earning premier wins over SEC opponents with a program that has long been underperforming.
Stein comes from an offensive background, having just been the offensive coordinator for Dan Lanning and the Oregon Ducks. He recently spoke about why he decided to hand off play-calling to his OC, Joe Sloan. The Texas Longhorns' head coach, Steve Sarkisian, should take some notes:
"I do believe I'm one of the best play callers in the country, and I know why I'm in this position, but I don't want to be a great play caller. I want to be a great head coach," Stein said.
Well, if that isn't the biggest issue that Sarkisian has come up against? He refuses to admit that letting go of play calling doesn't take away from his abilities as an "offensive genius" but makes him a great head coach and delegator.
Sarkisian calling plays on the offensive side of the ball isn't working. The offense has regressed, quarterback Arch Manning has regressed, and the team cannot produce the level of play it needs to see to succeed.
He needs to find an offensive coordinator he can trust with the task, exactly as Stein has for the Wildcats.
Steve Sarkisian can still be involved in the Texas offense if he isn't calling plays
Sarkisian, just like Stein, comes from an offensive background, having worked as OC for teams like the Alabama Crimson Tide, under legendary head coach Nick Saban, and at the next level for the Atlanta Falcons in the NFL.
So, it's understandable that he has endless faith in his own play-calling abilities, but those abilities simply aren't working at Texas.
Yet, if he did ever finally decide to hand over the offensive playbook, that doesn't mean that Sarkisian wouldn't be able to still be involved in the offense. Yet another aspect that Stein already has a great understanding of.
"I'm going to be heavily involved in the offense every step of the way, but just because I'm not reading off into the mic to our quarterback doesn't mean that I'm not meticulous about what plays are being called and when it's being called," Stein said.
Will Stein on why he doesn’t call plays for Kentucky pic.twitter.com/RkFp4aGsh0
— WestCoastCFB (@WestCoastCFB) October 19, 2026
If a first-year head coach at a football program like Kentucky can wrap his head around this concept, why can't the head coach of the Longhorns?
Sarkisian has been in this role for six years now and has seen a rotation of staff members and players. Each year, the Horns have fallen short of expectations (which are for Texas to win it all). The only thing that hasn't changed over the years has been who is calling plays on offense.
It is far past time for Sarkisian to throw up his hands and admit defeat. It is time for him to hand over the playbook. It is time for the Texas Longhorns to hire an actual offensive coordinator.
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