Steve Sarkisian's heart for coaching runs deep, evidenced by his pregame tradition of connecting with his parents, as revealed in a KXAN interview. The Texas Longhorns coach treasures these video calls, brief glimpses into his personal tradition amidst the relentless pace of college football. For Sarkisian, it's a moment of solace before diving into the high-stakes arena where, he said, "They know more about our team than I do."
Following his love for the game from his days on the field through Brigham Young University and the Canadian Football League, Sarkisian has built a coaching career that he unequivocally enjoys, notably because it transcends the mere concept of work, it's an enduring passion where even the tumult of recruiting retains its charm for him and through which he finds joy in the evolution and resilience of his players, as he expressed in the same FOX44 News discussion, "I love watching players get faced with adversity, maybe it’s an injury, you know, and then how they overcome that and through rehab and get on the other side of it."
After a rocky mid-season exit from USC back in 2015 amid personal battles, Sarkisian's trajectory took a redemptive arc through Alabama and, eventually, to the helm of the Longhorns program. This opportunity allowed for a rejuvenation of a once-derailed career, where Sarkisian places great emphasis on the supportive environment at Texas, describing it to KXAN as "a special place." This culture uplift, combined with professional recover,y buoyed him towards two CFP semifinal appearances and has been the backdrop for Sarkisian's contract extension through 2031.
Sarkisian's tenure with the Longhorns marks a period of growth not just for his team but for himself as well, as he candidly discussed the highs and lows of his personal journey, reflecting in the KXAN interview, "When you’ve lived a life full of peaks and valleys, and when you’ve been in the deepest valley you could possibly imagine yourself being in, I’m on a pretty good peak right now." Sarkisian's regimen of surrounding himself with positive influences and his enduring appetite for the sport are cornerstones of his current success — underlining a career that defies the transient nature of collegiate sports.
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