Holly Rowe and Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian’s interview on Saturday was much different from their last one.
After Texas’ thrilling 24-23 comeback win, Sarkisian ran away from Rowe as she attempted to interview him, leaving the ESPN reporter visibly dismayed. On Saturday, prior to the highly anticipated matchup between No. 1 Texas and No. 14 Tennessee at Neyland Stadium, Rowe interviewed Sarkisian right before kickoff, and it went off without a hitch.
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Rowe referenced Arch Manning’s Hall of Fame uncle, Peyton Manning, and how members of the Manning family have played well at Neyland Stadium before asking Sarkisian how he had told Arch to make the game his own.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns reacts before the game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 19, 2026, in Austin, Texas. (Tim Warner/Getty Images)
“This is his moment. I want him to go out and have fun with his teammates, right? This team has been great all year. It’s going to continue to play great, but they need to play great together. It’s not about just Arch, it’s about the entire team,” Sarkisian told ESPN.
“Thanks so much, coach. Appreciate you,” Rowe responded.
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Holly Rowe, shown at the WNBA All-Star Game, pushed back after Sarah Spain suggested WNBA leadership should have a different responsibility to players than commissioners in men’s sports. (NBAE via Getty Images)
“Appreciate you,” Sarkisian replied as he walked back toward his sideline.
The postgame interview after the Ohio State game went viral, but the attention didn’t stop there. Manning was asked about the viral videos after Texas’ comeback win and pointed to an AI video depicting Sarkisian slapping Rowe, which drew laughs from those in the room.
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Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian speaks with Arch Manning #16 during the fourth quarter against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Sept. 12, 2026. (Getty Images)
Manning has since apologized for his comments, and Sarkisian explained that ESPN was dealing with delays and said he wanted to celebrate with his team. The Texas coach said he has a “great relationship” with Rowe that dates back to his playing days at BYU.
Sarkisian hopes he’ll be interviewed by Rowe for a second time on the field after a Longhorns victory on Saturday. At the time of this writing, Texas was up 7-3 on Tennessee in the first quarter.
