Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte released a statement of support for head coach Steve Sarkisian on the heels of the Longhorns' 57-56 overtime loss to Kansas in his public Fort Acres Insider newsletter on Tuesday.
"At Texas Athletics, we all know it was a devastating way to lose," Del Conte wrote. "You are all so passionate about your Longhorns and feel frustrated about how things have gone for five games. Trust, we're so disappointed and frustrated too, but no one is more upset than Coach Sark and the team."
Del Conte circulated talking points that Sarkisian spread earlier this week about the number of players who have transferred from the 2018 and 2019 recruiting classes, counting 52% in 2018 and 46% in 2019 that have left the program. Both of those classes ranked top three in the country. Additionally, Del Conte revealed that 25 players missed practice before the Kansas game because of the flu.
"This isn't to cast any blame or make excuses; it's just factual that we have some real depth issues," Del Conte wrote. "As injuries mount, it's even more glaring."
Of course, the need for a statement of support comes as the program reaches some truly historic lows in Sarkisian's first season on the 40 Acres. Texas had not lost five straight games since 1956 or lost to Kansas at home in the history of the program. The Jayhawks had lost 56 straight Big 12 road games dating back to 2008.
While Texas has dealt with attrition, the roster still ranks No. 11 in the 247Sports Talent Composite. Two-thirds of the remaining roster were blue-chip recruits out of high school., tied with LSU, Oklahoma and Florida. For comparison, Kansas ranks No. 73 in Talent Composite, behind schools like FAU, Syracuse and South Florida.
It's unlikely that Sarkisian would be canned after his first season, but the 4-6 record is a disappointment for a team that entered the year ranked No. 21. Texas has not lost five conference games since 2015, the year Charlie Strong was fired. Strong, of course, lost to Kansas that season.
"None of us expect what we're up against now, but that's why we hired him and a tremendous staff to allow us to build a foundation for long-term success," Del Conte said. "Our Longhorns need to continue to learn and grow from these challenging times. We can be there by their side to help pull them through."
Texas travels to West Virginia on Saturday morning to play the Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Longhorns need to win their final two games against WVU and Kansas State to earn a trip to a bowl game.
