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Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte has heard the reports of purported NFL interest in Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian and doesn’t much appreciate the timing four days before the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Cotton Bowl.

Del Conte hired Sarkisian as head coach at Texas and 51 weeks ago signed him to a four-year contract extension as the job at Alabama opened due to Nick Saban’s retirement.

But the timing of the latest reports, including from ESPN’s Adam Schefter, that NFL teams could kick the tires on Sarkisian didn’t sit well with Del Conte.

“We’ve got a game to play,” he told the Houston Chronicle. “I’m not going to comment. Somebody’s just creating fodder before our biggest game. That’s stupid.”

Texas plays Ohio State on Friday in the Cotton Bowl. The Longhorns are in college football’s final four for the second consecutive year. The Longhorns lost 37-31 to the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl last January.

NFL interest isn’t news for Sarkisian. He previously worked as an assistant coach with the Falcons and Raiders.

Sarkisian, in his fourth season at Texas, is under contract through the 2030 season. He received a pay increase to more than $10 million from $5.6 million annually last January, when Del Conte said Texas was “never worried” about Sarkisian bolting back to Alabama. Sarkisian was offensive coordinator under Saban with the Crimson Tide.

–Field Level Media