Steve Sarkisian explains impact Nick Saban, Pete Carroll had on him as a coach, person

On Jan. 10, 2024 both Pete Carroll and Nick Saban announced their retirement from coaching after spending decades on top of the industry.

To Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, their nearly simultaneous retirements hit him a little bit differently than many other coaches in the industry. Spending time on both Carroll’s staff at USC and Saban’s staff at Alabama, both men not only had profound impacts on the trajectory of Sarkisian’s career, but they helped mold him into the man he is today outside of the game.

“The impact they had on my life, nevermind as a coach but as a man, but also as a coach, and honestly as an offensive coach,” Sarkisian said during an appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show. “I credit them both so much because I learned defensive football, man, I’ll never forget being with Pete Carroll at 11:30 at night and he’s drinking Mountain Dews. And we’re talking about Tampa 2 and Cover 3.

“I was a young coach and I was just trying to learn football as best I could. All the way going to be with Nick Saban, you’re talking about combo coverage and all the different things. Their impact on my career is one, thing their their impact on me as a man is a whole other and I owe them so much respect.”

Sarkisian played quarterback during his on-field days, and continued with the position as his area of coaching expertise. He was hired onto Carroll’s initial staff in 2001 and was the QB coach by the time he left, the first break of his coaching career.

During that time, Sarkisian got to know Pete Carroll the coach, and Pete Carroll the person.

“Everybody sees him chewing the gum, jumping and cheering and the rah-rah, but he was always very authentic with the team,” Sarkisian continued. “As our players would say, he was real.

“Because in the same team meeting when he might be up there playing the piano or shooting baskets, he would be able to address a player for not playing with the right effort and call them out in front of a hundred guys, and nobody felt attacked. But it was his ability to be authentic to be real, to share his own stories.”

Sarkisian explained that the unique way that Carroll was able to connect with his team and individual players was rare. “Those guys would do anything for Pete Carroll,” he said. As many five-star recruits and high-profile players that came through the Trojans’ doors during that time, it wouldn’t have been without Carroll’s influence.

In the same sense, Saban was the same. Nobody has pumped more talent into the NFL during their career than Nick Saban has. Getting to sit next to him as offensive coordinator for one of his seven national championship victories was an invaluable experience that has aided him in the years since. That includes leading Texas to a first-ever College Football Playoff berth in the final year of the four-team format.

That breeds hope for the future of the Longhorns program joining their new SEC environment earlier this month. Coinciding with the expansion of the CFP to 12 teams, the Longhorns have a lot to be excited about in the near future.