Steve Sarkisian has 16 years of college experience under his belt. The 51-year-old worked his way to the top of college football, making Texas a contender again in the last three seasons. The Miami Dolphins could hire Sarkisian to replace Mike McDaniel, who was fired on Thursday following a 7-10 record.
With experiences under Pete Carroll and Nick Saban, he has become one of the best coaches in college football. Signing a college coach without any prior experience in the NFL has always been met with bad eyes. However, Sarkisian has legitimate arguments to take over the Dolphins, a team in need of change.
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Top 5 reasons why the Dolphins should sign Steve Sarkisian
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1. He is an offensive mastermind
Hiring Steve Sarkisian wouldn’t be much of a change compared to Mike McDaniel. Sarkisian is an offensive mastermind. His Alabama Crimson Tide 2019 offense averaged a school-record 47.2 points per game in Sarkisian’s first full season. The Longhorns averaged 388.5 total yards per game and recorded 5,050 total yards in 13 games this season.
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2. Culture changer
Sarkisian has put in the work to turn the situation around in Texas. The coach posted a 5-7 record in his first season and followed with an 8-5 record. Everything changed in his third season (12-2). He took the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff semifinals in 2024. Although they posted a 10-3 record in 2025, Sarkisian’s team is considered a strong candidate for 2026, especially with Arch Manning returning for one more season.
3. Can develop a quarterback
On that note, Steve Sarkisian’s quarterback development ability is remarkable. Bryce Young praised Sarkisian for being “one step ahead” and building a system that maximizes his players’ abilities. After Quinn Ewers left for the NFL, Sarkisian helped Arch Manning become a threat.
The junior quarterback went 248 of 404 for 3,163 yards and 26 touchdowns with seven interceptions in 2025, turning things around after a rocky first three weeks.
4. Can adapt to different scenarios
Sarkisian proved at the end of the season that he won’t think twice to make changes, even if that means parting ways with his defensive coordinator. Sarkisian fired Pete Kwiatkowski as defensive coordinator and Duane Akina as passing game coordinator in December, bringing back Will Muschamp to replace Kwiatkowski.
After a rough start to the season, Sarkisian fixed several issues on offense, too, including Arch Manning’s lack of rhythm, with a nonstop, fast-paced offense.
5. Can deliver under pressure
Following a discreet tenure with Washington (34-29) and a short-lived stint with the USC Trojans (12-6), Steve Sarkisian joined a program with multiple challenges on the field and a lot of pressure off the field. While pressure is mounting after the 2025 season, Sarkisian has proven that he can lead the team to contend.
He has done a solid job so far, putting up with the external noise while trying to deliver a championship to one of the wealthiest and most important programs in college football.
Edited by Orlando Silva
