Getty Image / Tim Warner
The rate of failed young head coaches went to Tuscaloosa to become assistants for Nick Saban in the 2010s was so high that it became a meme. One of those cast-offs was current Texas Head Coach Steve Sarkisian.
Sarkisian went to Alabama first as an analyst in 2016 for a year and then returned for the 2019 and 2020 seasons as offensive coordinator where he led the Tide offense to new heights.
The 2020 Crimson Tide offense dominated college football in the season marred by the COVID-19 pandemic. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy, and Mac Jones was a Heisman finalist and a first-round pick after a huge season.
That helped Steve Sarkisian land one of the most coveted jobs in the sport in Texas, and he actually beat Saban and Alabama last year in Tuscaloosa, 34-24.
Steve Sarkisian’s past struggles with alcohol are well-known, and it would be unfair to say for sure if his time with Nick Saban helped him gain his sobriety after alcohol was a main culprit of him getting fired from USC in 2015. But, one thing is for sure. Steve Sarkisian is incredibly appreciative of the now-retired Saban.
Nick Saban is covering SEC Media Days in his new media gig with ESPN, and everyone has been getting asked about his absence as a coach from the league after his 17 great seasons in T-Town that led to six national titles. Sarkisian revealed that his relationship with Saban is much more personal.
“No one have you impacted more than me. I would not be standing here w/out you. What you meant to my career & my life. I can’t thank you enough,” Steve Sarkisian said.
There’s no doubt that Sarkisian is in a great position right now. Outwardly, he looks to be in total control of his health, and Texas is finally back to being a national power. The Longhorns won the Big 12 last year in their final year in the league, and narrowly lost to Washington in the College Football Playoff Semifinals. With a ton of talent returning, led by quarterback Quinn Ewers and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks, Texas will be a top-five preseason team this year and will be expected to make it back to the playoffs and possibly win it all.
According to Steve Sarkisian, Nick Saban is to thank for all of that.