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AUSTIN, Texas – Texas football 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. This is the second consecutive season that Sarkisian has been named a finalist for the award.
Sarkisian led the Longhorns to a 12-2 record, an appearance in the SEC Championship Game, and a College Football Playoff first-round victory for Texas’ second straight College Football Playoff appearance. Texas has won 12 or more games in consecutive seasons for the first time since the 2008-09 season. This is the program’s fifth 12-win or more season (2005, 2008, 2009, 2023, 2024). The Horns have won 11 straight road games. This is the longest active winning streak by an FBS team. Since the start of the 2023 season, Texas is 24-4 with just four losses against AP League Top 12 opponents. In Texas State’s last 30 games, the Longhorns are 25-5 with just five losses against AP Top 12 opponents.
Under Coach Sarkisian’s guidance, the Texas offense ranks 6th in the FBS in first down offense (317), 14th in success rate (66.5 percent), 15th in total offense (448.9 ypg), and 15th in team passing efficiency (448.9 ypg). 154.52), ranked 17th. Ranked 275.4th in passing offense and 24th in scoring offense (33.9 ppg). The Texas offense has rushed for over 100 yards in 12 of 14 games, with three different Longhorn running backs each recording at least one 100-yard effort. Through 14 games, the Texas offense is averaging 6.3 yards per play. UT is averaging 173.5 yards on the ground per game, 4.6 yards per carry, and 25 rushing scores. The Longhorns scored on 35 passing touchdowns.
Junior left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr. was a unanimous first-team All-America selection, becoming the first Longhorn to win both the Outland Trophy and the Lombardi Trophy in the same season. Last season, the Longhorns won the Outland Trophy for the second straight year and fifth time overall, with defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat earning the honor. Texas is the first school to win back-to-back Outland Trophies since Nebraska won three in a row from 1981-83, but UT is the only program with back-to-back winners on both sides of the ball.
Junior QB Quinn Ewers was a second-team All-SEC player and Manning Award finalist, completing 250 of 376 passes (66.5 percent) for 2,876 yards and 26 touchdowns in 12 games. He averaged 238.9 yards as a starter. Ewers ranks 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). are. Ewers holds a record for passing touchdowns in 25 consecutive games. This is the longest active streak by an FBS quarterback and the second longest streak in program history behind Colt McCoy’s program record of 29 games. The Southlake, Texas, product ranks third and fourth in the program’s record books in passing touchdowns (62) and passing yards (8,523), respectively.
The Longhorns boast one of the most elite and dominant defenses in the nation in 2024. Texas leads the FBS in turnovers gained (29) and pass interceptions (20). Additionally, UT ranks second in the FBS in scoring defense (13.3 ppg), team pass efficiency defense (100.38) and passing yards allowed (156.9). Texas ranks third in the FBS in total defense (261.1), fifth in third-down conversion rate defense (30.2), sixth in red zone defense (71) and 10th in rushing defense (104.2). UT closed out the regular season by shutting out its opponents in the first half in three of its past four games (all were conference opponents).
Senior defensive back Jahday Barron received first-team All-America nod and became the program’s third Jim Thorpe Award recipient this season. Barron is one of the most versatile defensive backs in the nation, consistently playing multiple positions in Texas’ defensive backfield while providing leadership as a fifth-year veteran. The Austin, Texas, native led the Longhorns in interceptions (5) and pass breakups (11) through 14 games, with 50 total tackles, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and 2 quarterback hurries. He recorded one forced fumble. Barron paces the SEC in total interceptions this season and ranks fourth in the FBS.
Earlier this season, Sarkisian was also named to the Dodd Trophy and Paul “Bear” Bryant Coach of the Year watch lists.
Sarkisian is one of eight finalists for the award. The winners of the 2024 George Munger Prize will be announced on Tuesday, January 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. Maxwell Football Club will also present other national awards from high school to the pros at this event.
2024 George Munger Prize Finalist
Kenny Dillingham – Arizona
Spencer Danielson – Boise State
Kirby Smart – Georgia
Curt Cignetti – Indiana
Marcus Freeman – Notre Dame
Dan Lanning – Oregon
James Franklin – Pennsylvania State University
Steve Sarkisian – Texas
Next, the Longhorns will head to Atlanta for the College Football Playoff quarterfinals at the 57th annual Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Texas will play No. 4 seed Arizona State on Wednesday, Jan. 1 at noon in Connecticut. The game will be broadcast on ESPN, with call-in appearances by Joe Tessitore (play-by-play), Jesse Palmer (analyst) and Katie George (reporter). .
