Texas Coach Steve Sarkisian Reveals Lessons From Nick Saban & Pete Carroll

Sarkisian was asked in a recent interview with Joel Klatt what he learned from the two football legends, and said that the most important thing was how they led with transparency.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban talks to Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian ahead of the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday, Sep. 9, 2023 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. / Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman /

When Steve Sarkisian took the job of head football coach at Texas, he was met with vast expectations and one goal in mind: build a team that wins championships.

Entering his third season at Texas, Sarkisian was able to bring the Longhorns to their best record in 15 years, finishing out at 12-2. He also fulfilled the prophecy of Texas becoming the Big 12 Conference Champions and tacked on the program's first College Football Playoff appearance.

But Sarkisian's road to victory last year is a product of his past experiences working alongside two of college football's most recognized coaches, Nick Saban and Pete Carroll. In Sarkisian's most recent interview with Joel Klatt, he spoke about what he learned from the duo, who have since retired from the game.

"The biggest thing I got from those two: dramatically different personalities," Sarkisian said. "Here's Pete Carroll, he's bouncing around, he's chewing gum, he's playing catch every day, he's got his gloves on, he's creating an environment of energy. Here's Nick Saban, the methodical regiment, the discipline of this is how we're going to go about our business and this is the approach."

Sarkisian held the role of offensive assistant and assistant head coach under Carroll at USC in the early 2000s, leaving the program for a head coaching position at Washington ahead of Carroll's departure to the Seattle Seahawks.

In 2016, Sarkisian would find himself at Alabama as a team analyst, later being promoted to offensive coordinator just in time to see the Tide's national championship game against Clemson.

He said that despite their polar opposite mindsets, Saban and Carroll agreed on the fact that they wanted to create a winning program.

"In the end, they're both striving for the same thing, which is being champions," Sarkisian said. "They're both highly competitive, two of the most competitive humans I've ever been around, and they're both extremely successful."

While Texas defeated Alabama in Tuscaloosa last season, that was only a minor bump in Saban's career, as he posed a 292-71-1 record across four universities, including seven national championships. Carroll's only college head coaching experience came from USC, but he led the Trojans to a national championship appearance against Texas and later became a Super Bowl winner with the Seahawks in 2014.

Sarkisian mentioned that with both Carroll and Saban, the most success came in the later half of their careers, and when he asked them what flipped the switch, he said he got nearly the exact same answer.

"They figured out who they were, and then they coached who they were rather than trying to be something that they're not," Sarkisian said. "When adversity strikes, the real you comes out, and then everybody around you is like, 'Who the hell is that guy?'"

Reflecting on his own coaching style, Sarkisian admitted that he felt like a thermometer, adjusting to the environment of each program instead of creating his own. Since arriving at Texas, Sarkisian has been able to take those memorable lessons from Saban and Carroll and make a culture that he's proud of.

"I've been fortunate to work for two amazing men in our sport that have been tremendous, and the life lessons I learned from them well beyond football that I've been able to apply, but apply in a way that fits me so there's a consistency to the approach that I give every day," Sarkisian said.

With plenty of knowledge and experience from his past successors, Sarkisian hopes to follow in their footsteps and rise to the occasion of being one of the newest members of the SEC.