Steve Sarkisian shares what makes Texas' brand 'world-renowned'

Texas has established one of the most iconic athletic programs across the entire collegiate sports landscape, becoming one of the most popular and recognizable brands in all of sports. Longhorns head football coach Steve Sarkisian joined ‘The Herd with Colin Cowherd’ on Monday morning and spoke about the Texas brand, giving high praise to a program rich in history.

“Well, first of all, I think the history and tradition speak for itself,” Sarkisian said. “And you’re right about the colors and the uniform. They’re very unique that way. The city of Austin is on fire. And with all of that and the growth that Austin has, we — you know, the only pro sport we have is Austin FC. And so, when you talk about being in the state of Texas, being in Austin, Texas, the capital of the state, we are that program. And inevitably, we’ve got a brand that is world-renowned.”

From the unique colors, to the iconic hand gesture, and the recognizable logo, there is just something special about Texas. Which Sarkisian agrees with, even making a bold statement about the school’s emblematic logo.

“In my opinion, it’s the No. 1 logo in sports,” Sarkisian said. “You look on my shirt, it doesn’t say Longhorns, it doesn’t say Texas. There’s just the picture of the Longhorn and everybody knows what it is. So, in the end, it is like those other schools.”

Texas’ football program has had its fair share of highs and lows throughout the team’s history, but their reputation in the college football landscape will always keep them relevant and make them an attractive destination for student-athletes. Which Sarkisian got his first glimpse of when he was the quarterbacks coach at USC during their iconic 2006 Rose Bowl showdown with the Longhorns.

“I think it’s very similar that way, I think we can recruit great players. I can remember being on the sidelines in that National Championship game with USC thinking, ‘Man, Texas has players that look like ours. They’re as fast as ours, they’re as big as ours are.’ And we had won 33 straight games in a row. And inevitably, you know, Vince (Young) got us that night in arguably the greatest college football game ever,” Sarkisian explained.

Sarkisian has only been a part of Texas’ program since 2021, as he enters his third season as the team’s head coach. But his pride, passion, and high praise for the Longhorns is evident, as he looks to continue upholding and growing the strong sense of tradition established long before his arrival in Austin.

“So, it is a tremendous brand. We’re extremely fortunate and it’s one that I know we take a lot of pride in. You know, I was talking earlier about, you know, every day I walk into this building with a real sense of humility, and I’m humbled in the fact that man, I get to be the head coach at the University of Texas, and I don’t take it lightly,” Sarkisian said. “And we’re fortunate to have a really good football team this year, and we’ll see how far we can take it.”