'Can't Thank You Enough!' Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian Expresses Gratitude Toward Nick Saban

Texas Longhorns coach Sarkisian remarked how grateful he was to have worked alongside Alabama HC Nick Saban after leaving his first head coaching stint at USC.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban and then-offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian confer on the sideline during a 2019 game against Arkansas. There are 65 coaches who vote in the USA Today poll. One of them voted Texas as the No. 1 team in the country in his preseason ballot. Saban Sark / Mickey Welsh/Montgomery Advertiser / USA

Most college football head coaches would recall their first year in the driver's seat as a memorable milestone in their careers.

But for Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, it was nearly a one-and-done deal after his personal struggles caused him to get fired from his position at USC back in 2015.

It was none other than Alabama head coach Nick Saban who would help Sarkisian get back on his feet, hiring him as an offensive analyst the following year and eventually promoting him as an interim offensive coordinator for the Crimson Tide. After a brief stint with the NFL, Sarkisian was brought back onto Saban's staff as the official offensive coordinator until he was hired by Texas in 2021.

Sarkisian touched on how his time at Alabama shaped his life for the better at SEC Media Days this past week.

Sep 10, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before the game at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports / Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports

"I want to briefly talk about Coach Saban," Sarkisian said. "I know everybody has been coming up [and] talking about it, and you know you’ve impacted a lot of people who have been up on this stage."

“No one have you impacted more than me. I would not be standing here today without you and what you’ve meant to my career, and to my life, I can’t thank you enough, and the impact that you’ve had on our game has been second to none, and I just can’t thank you enough. I want to be able to do that publicly for you, Coach. Thank you very, very much.”

Saban has become one of the most prominent names in college football after building up the Crimson Tide dynasty with seven national championship wins. He announced his retirement in January and finished out his career at Alabama with a 201-29 record over 17 years.

Needless to say Sarkisian had a front row seat working alongside Saban to watch how a championship team is crafted and has been able to reflect his lessons and experiences onto his culture at Texas. The Longhorns saw their first College Football Playoff appearance and almost faced off against Alabama for the second time this season, with both teams falling to their respected opponents in the last year of the four-team playoff format.

Sarkisian now looks to carry on the same greatness as his previous mentor as Texas begins its journey through the SEC, having more competitive opponents than just Alabama to look out for.