When Texas and the administration decided to part ways with Tom Herman in favor of Steve Sarkisian, there was an expectation that it would raise an eyebrow. If nothing else, the buyout during a global pandemic. Not only that but the circumstances in which Sark was fired from his last head coaching gig at Southern California.
After spending seven of his first nine years in the coaching world at USC, Sark got his first opportunity to coach at Washington. The Huskies were not in a good place in the realm of college football. From 2005-08 before his arrival, the team was 11-37, which included going 0-12 in the 2008 season. They improved immediately under Sarkisian. His record in five seasons was 34-29, not mindblowing but given where that program was when he arrived, that is an improvement.
Sarkisian would then head back to USC after they dismissed Lane Kiffin and he would last just 18 games before being terminated. The reasons for that termination are well known, and Sark would put himself into alcohol rehabilitation. Eventually ended up at Alabama with his old friend Lane Kiffin, who was then the offensive coordinator.
ESPN recently re-published a piece on Steve Sarkisian, here is just one excerpt from it.
Whether you ask Sanchez or Booty or Roth or Kiffin, they share pride in the way Sarkisian went through a tough time at USC and has come out on the other side. He didn’t tell them what he was going to do or how he was going to change. He just put his head down and did it, Sanchez said.
So this is the story of redemption, of second chances. It always seems that America loves a good redemption story, so here is the chance to get behind Steve Sarkisian. Some feel that Sark is no better or worse than the man they let go in Tom Herman. Sark is the guy that ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit called “the real deal.” The man who Nick Saban put in charge of Alabama football when he was in COVID-19 protocols and isolation.
It has been reported that Alabama felt that Steve Sarkisian was the guy for the post-Saban era. That should be good enough for Texas fans if the greatest college coach of our lifetime signs off on him.
The best part of this story, however, dates back 20 years ago. As Sark opened his first meeting with Texas on Saturday he shared a story about his dad. When he spoke of possibly getting the Longhorns job his father stated that the Texas head coaching job is the one you wanted 20 years ago.
Sometimes it takes patience and sometimes it takes a little luck. Sometimes you just need a second chance.