 Sarriugarte took up coaching in the early 2000s, with the various sides of his first club Athletic.On 8 July 2006, following the dismissal of Javier Clemente, he was appointed first-team manager by president Fernando Lamikiz; just four months later, however, he was relieved of his duties after a 1–3 home defeat against Sevilla FC which saw them drop into the 18th position, and eventually again barely avoiding relegation.In June 2009, Sarriugarte signed at CD Varea (soon to be named UD Logroñés), freshly promoted to Segunda División B, but stepped down before the campaign began.