Texas coach Sarkisian addresses ESPN interview decisions

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Thursday he could have handled a pair of sideline interview situations better during the Longhorns’ dramatic comeback victory over Ohio State last weekend. He addressed the issue that drew attention after the nationally televised game.

Speaking at his weekly press conference, Sarkisian explained the circumstances behind a missed halftime interview with Laura Rutledge and his decision not to immediately participate in a postgame interview with Holly Rowe following Texas’ victory over the then top-ranked Buckeyes.

Sarkisian said he had been scheduled to speak with Rutledge at halftime, but ESPN experienced technical difficulties.

“I had to make an in-moment decision to say, wait on the interview, or try to get with our team and try to make the proper adjustments to come out and play as good as we could in the second half,” Sarkisian said.

He said he informed Rutledge of his decision and later spoke with her after the team returned from the locker room to discuss Texas’ approach for the second half.

After Texas completed a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback over Ohio State, Sarkisian addressed what happened during his postgame interview with Rowe. He said there was a delay after he met Ohio State coach Ryan Day at midfield and that he chose to celebrate with his players rather than continue waiting for the scheduled interview.

“We just had a 21-point fourth-quarter comeback against the number one team in the country,” Sarkisian said. “If hindsight’s 20/20, if I could do it all over again, I would have exuded more patience in that moment and sat through and waited for the interview with Holly.”

Sarkisian said he has a longstanding relationship with Rowe and that Texas values its partnership with ESPN.

“Obviously, we have a ton of respect for ESPN and Holly,” Sarkisian said. “Holly and I go way back to even my days of playing at BYU, and we’ve got a great relationship.”

The coach’s comments also touched on a separate issue involving Texas quarterback Arch Manning, who drew criticism after commenting on an AI-generated video during a postgame media session.

Sarkisian said Manning has acknowledged the mistake and apologized.

“Obviously, Arch recognizes he made a mistake, and it’s an unfortunate one,” Sarkisian said. “Nowhere do we condone domestic violence or violence against women. Nothing in our program says that nor Arch individually.”