Steve Sarkisian might never have been hired as the Texas Longhorns’ head coach in the absence of Pete Carroll and Nick Saban…
Pete Carroll is the reason Steve Sarkisian is where he is today.
Without Nick Saban’s olive branch, he most definitely would not be in his current position.
And he expresses gratitude for the chance.
After being elected into the East-West Shrine Bowl Hall of Fame, Sarkisian took the time to express his gratitude to Carroll and Saban for having put their faith in him as a coach to launch his career as a quarterback for BYU and later as head coach of Texas.
Carroll’s resignation as the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach was revealed earlier this month. After 17 seasons and six national championships, Saban announced his resignation from Alabama less than twenty-four hours later.
I wouldn’t be the University of Texas’ head coach today without those two men, Sarkisian told reporters in Frisco. “I feel incredibly appreciative, humbled, honored, and thankful for having spoken to them both that day. I was praising them and congratulating them on their outstanding careers, to put it plainly.”
Sarkisian, who will begin his fourth season with the Longhorns, was recruited as a graduate assistant by Carroll at USC in 2001. Carroll, who captured back-to-back national crowns in 2003–04, was familiar with Sarkisian from his 1997 Shrine Game performance.
A year after being hired, Sarkisian was promoted to quarterbacks coach, helping Carson Palmer win the Heisman Trophy in 2002. After a one-year stay with the then-Oakland Raiders, Sarkisian returned to Los Angeles and served under Carroll as the Trojans offensive coordinator until he departed for Washington in 2009. “He’s still a great mentor of mine, so you never know the people you meet along your journey and the impact that they can have on the rest of your life,” Sarkisian said of Carroll.
Sarkisian was about to face difficult circumstances during his second tenure at USC. After being put on an indefinite administrative leave, he was sacked because of issues that had arisen off the field. Though Saban had other ideas, Sarkisian was supposed to start out as a broadcaster.
Sarkisian would initially be brought on as an analyst and then join Saban in Tuscaloosa in 2017. He rejoined Saban as offensive coordinator following a two-year stint as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
The Crimson Tide finished top five in scoring and top ten in total yards in back-to-back seasons in two different years. With a win over Ohio State, Alabama wrapped up a 13-0 season and earned its sixth championship under head coach Nick Saban. DeVonta Smith became the first receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 2020.
A few days later, Sarkisian was selected Tom Herman’s replacement by Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte. The Longhorns have steadily improved since then, most recently winning a Big 12 title and qualifying for the College Football Playoffs for the first time since 2009.
“Three of the greatest coaches in history have worked as coaches during my tenure. “Those two comprise the trio,” remarked Sarkisian. “When you look at Nick Saban, Pete Carroll and Bill Belichick, and what they’ve been able to accomplish… I got to work for two of the three.”
During their collegiate careers, Saban and Carroll combined to win over 370 games, nine national crowns, and 19 conference championships. Carroll became the franchise’s all-time leader in wins and went on to win a Super Bowl with Seattle in 2013. In the meantime, Saban would win national championships at two SEC schools.
