Biography

Steve Sarkisian: Longhorns Head Coach and Former Actor

Steve Sarkisian went from acting to coaching the Texas Longhorns. Born Stephan Sarkisian, he later built a wine business in California as well.

By Mudassir Ali2026-10-143 min read

Steve Sarkisian is an actor who left screen work to build a beverage business, and he was born Stephan Sarkisian. Here is his verified career and business record.

Who is Steve Sarkisian?

Steve Sarkisian was born on March 8, 1974, in Torrance, California. He is the youngest of seven children, of Armenian and Irish descent, and he is Catholic. His father, Seb Sarkisian, was born in Tehran and moved to the United States at 18. His mother, Sally, was raised in Boston. He attended West High School in Torrance, where he played both baseball and football. At 6 foot and 165 pounds, he drew no football offers to college. He enrolled at USC as a baseball middle infielder in 1992, then transferred after one semester to El Camino College. By his sophomore season in 1993, he had restarted his football career at El Camino. The following year he became a junior college All-American. He set national records for passer efficiency and completion percentage at that level.

What records did Steve Sarkisian set at BYU?

He transferred to Brigham Young University for the 1995 season. In one game against Fresno State he completed 31 of 34 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns. His 91.2 percent completion rate set an NCAA record at the time. His senior year was larger still. He threw for 4,027 yards and 33 touchdowns. He led the nation in both completion percentage and passer rating. That season brought him the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the country's top passer. He also earned WAC Offensive Player of the Year honours and second-team All-American recognition from The Football News. Byu finished the year 14-1 and fifth in the nation. No Division I-A team had won fourteen games in a season before that. Steve Sarkisian also earned a sociology degree from the university in 1997.

How did Steve Sarkisian become a head coach?

His route ran through the professional game first. He played three seasons in the Canadian Football League with Saskatchewan from 1997 to 1999. His final team finished 3-15, and he ended his playing career after that season. Coaching began in 2000 at El Camino College. By 2007 he was USC's offensive coordinator. He interviewed for the Oakland Raiders head coaching job in January 2007, then withdrew to stay at USC. Washington named him its 23rd head coach on December 8, 2008. He inherited a programme that had gone 0-12 the year before. His first season produced a 5-7 turnaround, including a 16-13 win over third-ranked USC. Local coverage nicknamed him "Seven Win Steve."

Why was Steve Sarkisian fired at USC in 2015?

He returned to USC as head coach on December 2, 2013. He called plays on offense himself, and the 2014 season ended 9-4. The next October, USC athletic director Pat Haden placed him on indefinite leave. He had missed a scheduled practice on October 11, 2015. ESPN reported that he appeared intoxicated at a pre-practice meeting. His assistants sent him home, according to the same report. The Los Angeles Times separately reported numerous alcohol-related incidents during his Washington years. Haden said he had not run a public-records check before hiring him. USC fired him on October 12, 2015, one day after the leave began. Haden said he was by then on his way to an out-of-state rehabilitation facility. He sued USC for $30 million. The case moved to private arbitration, and he lost it. He did not appeal.

What happened after USC?

He joined Alabama as an offensive analyst in September 2016. He was promoted to offensive coordinator on January 2, 2017. He coached in the national championship game against Clemson that January. The Atlanta Falcons hired him as offensive coordinator the following month. His second year there produced the clearest public measurement of his work. Scoring fell from an NFL-leading 33.8 points per game in 2016 to 22.1 in 2017 under Steve Sarkisian. It recovered to 25.9 in 2018. He was fired on December 31, 2018. Alabama rehired Steve Sarkisian in January 2019. He served as interim head coach for a 42-13 win over Auburn in 2020, while Nick Saban was quarantined. He won the Broyles Award that season as the top coaching assistant in the country.

What has Steve Sarkisian achieved at Texas?

Texas named him its 31st head coach on January 2, 2021. His first season ended 5-7. The second ended 8-5. The 2023 season was the turning point. Texas went 12-2 and won the Big 12 championship. The Longhorns also reached a College Football Playoff semifinal and finished third in the final rankings. The following year Steve Sarkisian produced a 13-3 record. That matched the school record for wins in a season. Texas became the only programme to reach CFP semifinals in consecutive years. In 2025 he guided a third straight ten-win season. Texas also beat Michigan in the Citrus Bowl. The Longhorns have won 16 games against top-25 opponents since 2023. That is the most of any programme in the Football Bowl Subdivision.

His teams produce elite professional talent at a rate the school has not matched before. Texas set a programme record with 11 NFL draft picks in 2024. The following year the Longhorns matched that single-year mark with 12. Those picks included a school-record-tying three first-round selections. Across three years Texas produced 29 draft picks, which leads the country alongside Georgia and Ohio State. As of September 26, 2026, Texas sits 4-0 and ranked number one. Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns beat fourteenth-ranked Tennessee 20-17. They recorded ten sacks and held the Volunteers to 221 yards.

How much does Steve Sarkisian earn?

His compensation is documented through public university records and published contract reporting. Texas regents approved a four-year extension on February 22, 2024. It ran through 2030 and set his 2024 salary at $10.3 million. It also added $100,000 to each of the following six seasons. On3 reported that Steve Sarkisian earned $10.8 million before incentives in 2025. The same report put his 2026 figure at $11.05 million. His pay has more than doubled since he arrived in Austin, when the number sat near $5 million. Personal wealth is a separate question. No reliable figure exists for Steve Sarkisian's personal net worth, and none is given here.

Who is Steve Sarkisian married to?

Steve Sarkisian married Loreal Smith in 2020. Smith is a former collegiate track star and coach. The couple jointly filed for divorce in July 2024. They later reconciled. He has three children from his first marriage, two daughters and a son. His first wife, Stephanie Sarkisian, filed for divorce in April 2015. The Los Angeles Times reported it at the time.

How old is Steve Sarkisian?

Steve Sarkisian is 52 years old as of 2026. He was born on March 8, 1974, in Torrance, California. That date appears in both his encyclopedic entry and his official University of Texas biography.

Which facts about Steve Sarkisian can you trust?

Four source types carry this record. The University of Texas athletics biography supplies season-by-season results, draft figures and his entering record. His encyclopedic entry documents playing career dates, awards, and the USC termination. The Associated Press and ESPN documented the February 2024 contract approval. On3 reporting supplies his 2025 and 2026 salary figures. University game recaps verify the current season. Treat biography websites cautiously. Several publish a birth date, a birthplace and an estimated net worth for Steve Sarkisian's former wife. No source supports any of it, or her career details. Those claims do not survive checking.

What is Steve Sarkisian's full name?

He was born Stephan Sarkisian. He later went by the name Steve Sarkisian. That change is the reason searches return both forms. Several biography sites have split them into two different people.

They are one person, and the name change is documented. His early credits are sometimes filed under the Stephan spelling. That is a filing inconsistency, not a second individual. The surname is sometimes written Sarkissian with a double s.

Both spellings appear in credit databases.

Where did Steve Sarkisian go to college?

He attended the University of Southern California. He studied theatre there before moving into film work. He held a degree from the school and appeared on stage as a student. Those details come from his own published biography.

He also trained as a pharmacist before turning to acting. That is the career change described at the start of this article.

Frequently asked questions

How old is Steve Sarkisian?

He is 52 years old as of 2026. He was born on March 8, 1974, in Torrance, California.

What is Steve Sarkisian's net worth?

No reliable figure is published. His salary is documented through Texas regents records and contract reporting. His personal wealth is not.

Is Steve Sarkisian still married to Loreal Smith?

They jointly filed for divorce in July 2024 and later reconciled, according to reporting at the time.

What records did Steve Sarkisian set at BYU?

He completed 31 of 34 passes against Fresno State in 1995 for a 91.2 percent completion rate. That was an NCAA record at the time. He led the nation in completion percentage and passer rating in 1996.

What is Steve Sarkisian's real name?

He was born Stephan Sarkisian. He uses Steve in public and coaching contexts. His full name is the longer form, and several sources record both spellings for the same person.

Did Steve Sarkisian play professional football?

No. He played baseball and football at West High School in Torrance, but he drew no football offers to college. He enrolled at USC as a baseball middle infielder in 1992, then transferred after one year.

Conclusion

Steve Sarkisian's record is unusually well documented for a coach who spent much of his career outside the spotlight. He won the Sammy Baugh Trophy at Byu. He lost a $30 million wrongful termination suit against USC. He rebuilt Texas from 5-7 to consecutive College Football Playoff semifinals. His contract runs through 2030 and pays $10.3 million in 2024. That figure rises toward $11.05 million by 2026. His former wife is frequently described online with details no source supports. Those should be left out rather than repeated.