Steve Sarkisian reacts to death of Edith Royal

Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian shared his thoughts on the death of Edith Royal, the wife of former coach Darrell Royal.

Royal passed away on Monday at the age of 98. She was preceded in death by her husband, who himself passed in 2012 at the age of 88. Because of that Sarkisian never met the legendary coach but he did share how Edith reached out when he was hired.

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“I did not get to meet Coach Royal,” Steve Sarkisian said. “But I got a wonderful video message from Edith when I first got the job here that I still have.”

Edith Royal is a native of Oklahoma and married Darrell Royal in 1944. The two would go on to spend nearly seven decades married. They had three children together, two of whom preceded them in death thanks to automobile accidents.

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In 1957, Darrell Royal was hired by Texas to be the team’s head coach and he quickly became one of the most successful coaches in the history of the game. While there, he had an overall record of 167-45-5. He also won three national championships there. He was also the school’s athletic director, oversaw the integration of the athletics programs, and the team’s stadium is now named after him.

“The impact that they’ve had here, not only at the University of Texas but in Austin, the impact that Coach Royal had on the game of football itself,” Sarkisian said. “And the fact that I get to sit in the same chair he did is pretty humbling. You know, it’s definitely an honor. Hopefully, we can go out and play a brand of football that he’d be proud of as well.”

Darrell Royal himself died due to complications from Alzheimer’s disease and is buried in Austin.

Matthew McConaughey releases touching statement on Edith Royal’s passing

Following news of Edith Royal’s passing, actor and Texas Longhorns fan Matthew McConaughey released a touching statement on her death.

“One of the strongest women I’ve ever met moved on this morning. You will be missed Edith but more importantly, you will be remembered,” McConaughey wrote.

“I did not get to meet Coach Royal, but I got a wonderful video message from Edith when I first got the job here that I still have. The impact that they’ve had here, not only at the University of Texas, but in Austin, the impact that Coach Royal had on the game of football itself. The fact that I get to sit in the same chair he did is pretty humbling. You know, it’s definitely an honor. Hopefully, we can go out and play a brand of football that he’d be proud of.”