From The Athletic’s poll of a dozen Big 12 coaches who were granted anonymity:
Sarkisian’s rep as a play caller is something that most of the coaches brought up. Each said it’s very deserving. Texas does lead the nation in scoring against ranked opponents, averaging 38 points per game. Coaches said Sarkisian has a great feel for knowing how to attack coverages and that he’s very creative, especially with how he uses his players and motions to force defensive movement.
“He has little-to-no tendencies,” said one Big 12 defensive analyst. “If he has one, he breaks it the next week. His in-game adjustments are elite. We played a stack man concept to a route we thought was coming and he had a counter that we had never seen that was something off an And1 mix tape. He’s patient in his play calling as he leans on the run game and perimeter pass game and is very calculated when he takes shots.
“In my opinion, the fact he didn’t get Big 12 Coach of the Year was as big a snub as I’ve seen considering the job he’s done with this team. The sad part is, it’s the coaches that vote on this, so it tells you it’s more about Texas leaving the conference than who is the most deserving coach.”
