Texas football assistant emerges as lead candidate for Nevada HC job

On Sunday afternoon, it was revealed that Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian and his Longhorns will be advancing to play in the College Football Playoff next month in a game against the Washington Huskies. There was a bit of doubt as to what the Longhorns’ fate would be considering how deep the field was this season; however, a strong performance in the Big 12 Championship Game against Oklahoma State, along with a one-loss regular season, ultimately allowed Sarkisian and his group to punch their ticket to the dance.

The success that Texas has enjoyed this year has understandably generated much interest from around the country in some members of Steve Sarkisian’s coaching staff, including co-defensive coordinator Jeff Choate, who has emerged as the top candidate to fill the head coaching vacancy at Nevada, per Bruce Feldman and Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic. Choate’s defense certainly looked impressive during Saturday’s demolition of Oklahoma State.

The fact that there was still a question over whether or not Texas football would advance despite finishing as a one-loss conference champion speaks volumes as to just how many worthy contenders there were this season for only four available spots. Ultimately, it was the Longhorns’ win in Tuscaloosa against the Alabama Crimson Tide in early September that was perhaps the most impressive win in the country this season and acted as Texas’ ticket to the big dance.

Texas and Washington are slated to kick off in the Sugar Bowl from New Orleans on New Year’s Day.