Steve Sarkisian reveals biggest lessons from coaching legends Pete Caroll and Nick Saban before taking over Texas

In the last 25 years, Steve Sarkisian has been a staple in the world of football coaching. His career was greatly influenced by legends like Nick Saban and Pete Carroll, who both mentored him as he started his career. While cherishing his biggest memories from the 2000s, Coach Sarkisian shared how learning under Carroll and Saban changed his perspective.

The Texas head coach spoke to "3rd & Longhorns" panelists on Tuesday about his different experiences before arriving in Austin in 2021.

The 51-year-old coach started his coaching journey at the age of 26 at El Camino, which also happens to be his alma mater. He started his playing career in 1993.

After spending almost a year, he got an opportunity to join USC as QB coach in 2001. That's when his real journey started. From Pete Carroll to Monte Kiffin to Nick Saban, a lot of great individuals crossed his path.

“I remember talking to Coach Carroll, and I said, God, I'm just a little frustrated. And he's like, what's the deal?” Sarkisian narrated the incident to the podcasters. [Timestamp - 7:06]

“I said, all the stuff I'm trying to put in, we can't run it right. Like it's just, it's frustrating, but all the stuff I do that they did before with the previous staff. They executed really well. I'm trying to figure out, do I need to change philosophically, like, what to do?

"And he said, No, no. Coach Carroll, you got to know he's a little bit of a smart ass. No, no. Just do what they did before and then just get the same record that they said. What are you talking about? You gotta do what you believe in. And sooner or later, it'll start to happen,” he added.

This life lesson changed Sarkisian forever. He also resonated with a similar message from Nick Saban about making a meaningful impact in their 50s. He also shared he was happy to have been made head coach in Washington at just 33 years of age.

Steve Sarkisian transformed the culture at Texas

It was a cultural shock for the coach when he joined the Texas program in 2021. One of the biggest concerns was that despite having top players and talented staff, the team was unable to make progress and struggled to record a winning season. He recalled having a brief discussion with the upper brass and shared his idea of bringing a cultural shift within the program.

In the last four years, the Longhorns witnessed massive changes, starting from academic excellence to player development. The results were quite visible when the team made the playoffs in the last two seasons, although a national championship ticket was out of reach.

Coach Sark claims there is no looking back as he enters his fifth year at Austin with huge expectations from fans.