When Steve Sarkisian opened up about his biggest lessons from Nick Saban after spending 3 years at Alabama

Steve Sarkisian took over the Texas head coaching position in January 2021 after helping Alabama claim the College Football Playoff national championship title against Ohio State. He spent three successful years in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator.

The Longhorns were Sarkisian's third head coaching job after stints at Washington and USC. However, the experience under Nick Saban meant something different. He highlighted the lesson he learned from him in an appearance on SportsCenter days after arriving in Austin.

“I would say the discipline that he has to do his job on a daily basis,” Sarkisian said in Jan. 2021 (Timestamp 1:54). “Just consistently, not much rocks to Coach Saban’s boat. He's going to focus on what he needs to focus on to be the best head coach he can be.

“And then I just tried to adopt the same thing while I was there to be the best offensive coordinator I could be. There is something to the routine factor and when people are all in the same routine, you can kind of recreate that game week in and week out.”

Sarkisian joined the long list of assistants who worked under Saban and have gone on to take top head coaching jobs in the landscape.

Steve Sarkisian outlined his goals at Texas

Having worked in a successful program like Alabama, Steve Sarkisian had big dreams when he took the Texas job. The Longhorns have fallen from the pinnacle of the landscape for years, and his immediate goal was to set things right and return the program to its powerhouse status.

"I think probably the biggest thing is just building the culture the way we want it from day one,” Sarkian said (Timestamp 4:33). Ultimately, we're chasing greatness.

"You don't take a job at Texas just to be happy to be a head football coach. You take this job to win championships, to chase greatness, and that's where we have to all be on the same page to do the necessary things to try to go accomplish those things.”

So far, Sarkisian has recorded significant success at Texas. While he started with a 5-7 record, he's been able to elevate the Longhorns into a contender. Having reached the playoffs semi-final in two consecutive years, the program now sets its sights on the ultimate goal.