Sark: Longhorns' Culture is at 'All-Time High,' Explains How it Can Last

"I want what's best for our players and I want them to want it for each other," Sarkisian said Monday.

© Nelson Chenault, USA TODAY

The Texas Longhorns are officially engulfed in game-week preparation as the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks come to Austin Saturday for the season-opener. 

But Texas coach Steve Sarkisian took a moment Monday to step away from the x's and o's to dive deep into his philosophical book. He showed little hesitation when describing the culture change the program has gone through since he arrived in 2021.

"I think our culture is at an all-time high since I've been here," Sarkisian said. "Ultimately, culture gets tested when adversity strikes. Can we keep that bond through the storms and through the rough waters? And I think that we're in a place to do that."

Last season, the Horns didn't exactly have championship-winning expectations entering Sarkisian's first year, but a 5-7 finish was far from the projection. And as the losses piled up, the culture within the team seemed to lose its meaning as a result. 

To avoid similar dysfunction, he wants this year's group to remain close to one another and bond through the ups and downs that the season is certain to bring.

"I think culturally, I like a tight-knit group that can be vulnerable, honest, hold each other accountable, but yet it's full of love," Sarkisian said. "I want what's best for our players and I want them to want it for each other. I think we have done a lot of work in that area (of culture)."

The storms are set to hit Austin early in the season, and a Week 2 matchup with the Alabama Crimson Tide might be the biggest one the Longhorns have seen in some time. And fighting through the Big 12 slate, one that Texas went 3-6 in last season, won't make things any easier.

But with a newfound team-wide approach, Sarkisian is ready for the challenges ahead. 

"Nobody wants storms to come ... and how we persevere and how we get on the other side of it is really important," he said. "It's a lot easier to get on the other side of it when we're really well connected."

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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