Texas coach Steve Sarkisian admits he should have shown more patience before abruptly ending his postgame interview with ESPN reporter Holly Rowe.
The awkward exchange occurred after the Longhorns erased a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat then-No. 1 Ohio State, 24-23.
Rowe had barely begun her first question when Sarkisian shouted, “That’s called Texas fight! Hook ’em!” and ran toward his celebrating players.
The clip quickly went viral, with critics accusing Sarkisian of disrespecting the longtime ESPN reporter.
“If hindsight’s 20/20, if I could do it all over again, I would have exuded more patience in that moment,” Sarkisian said. “Could have definitely handled that situation better.”
Sarkisian explained that a delay following his midfield conversation with Ohio State coach Ryan Day left him eager to join his players. He also emphasized that he and Rowe have known each other since his playing days at BYU.
Steve Sarkisian full statement on the post-game ESPN situation with Holly Rowe:
“I want to address is a couple of my in-game interviews last Saturday night at Ohio State ball game. The first at halftime, I had I was scheduled to have an interview with Laura Rutledge. ESPN was…
— CJ Vogel (@CJVogel_OTF) September 17, 2026
The controversy took an uglier turn when someone created an artificial intelligence-generated video falsely depicting Sarkisian slapping Rowe before walking away.
Quarterback Arch Manning mentioned the fabricated clip during a press conference and called it “hilarious.” He apologized the following day, describing his remark as insensitive.
Rowe later said she appreciated Manning contacting her privately.
“We move forward with respect and kindness for one another,” she wrote.
Sarkisian called his quarterback’s comment a mistake and made clear that the Texas program does not condone violence against women.
“I think if he could take it back, he would,” Sarkisian said. “Our goal is that we can move forward and him be the guy that we all know that he is.”
Sarkisian’s explanation probably should end the original controversy. The fake video and Manning’s reaction ensured the story lasted much longer than the actual interview.
