Drama-free December highlights job well-done by Sarkisian
You’re a Texas fan so you know better than most how differing types of drama annually surface in December. How many coaching searches, whether head coach, coordinator, or position coaches have you followed over the last seven years? How many high-stakes recruiting wins and losses during the month? Think of the reliance on late-cycle momentum by Charlie Strong in 2015 and 2016 as well as Steve Sarkisian in 2022 and the drama it fostered. Now add the nonstop drama of the portal with players coming and going from schools at an alarming rate. Certainly there’s drama there, right? Nope, at least not yet.
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Are we even following the right Texas?
As the season played out, I hypothesized Steve Sarkisian was performing better as a head coach than as a play caller. That wasn’t to say he needed to hire a play caller but rather offensive inconsistencies masked how just well he performed as a head coach.
In recent weeks, even in the absence of football, that hypothesis is holding up. Being a college head coach is a year-round job, not just 12 Saturdays in the fall. Just as games can highlight strengths and weaknesses of a head coach, so too can the offseason. No month underlines that more than December as high school recruiting, the coaching carousel, player oversight, and the portal weave into one.
After going 5-7 last season, the staff needed a mad dash to close out the cycle strong. This year, no such push is needed. There has been almost no drama surrounding the numerous elite recruits who committed early.
The only hints of recruiting drama this month, outside of Ryan Niblett’s visit to U of H (I guess), surround the recruitment of Anthony Hill, and that’s only dramatic because the stakes are high due to being a quality player at a position that’s hard to find. But really there is little drama in this recruitment (so far) considering the schools involved.
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This time last year, many suggested Sarkisian should look to replace Pete Kwiatkowski and a few others. Fast forward 12 months and Sark’s original staff hired in January 2021 is 80% intact. Even more miraculous, fans are struggling mightily to find a coach in need of firing. Some fans are even praising the coaches they wanted exiled last December. This staff needs to win more games before it can be called a success, but lack of turnover shows it’s headed in the right direction.
Yes, Texas lost players to the portal, but attrition fostered from competition is healthy. We should see it more in the real world. Players aren’t leaving due to rotten culture, they’re leaving because they need to if they want to see the field. This in turn reminds us how well Sark and his staff have recruited.
The portal reminds us both of improved culture and quality high school recruiting. While other schools are in need of starters and depth, and can therefore reach for lesser players, Texas is able to be much more selective. For the most part depth is already in place. Any genuine needs are a bridge to give young players time to develop.
Everywhere you look you see stability: Stability with the current coaches and players; stability with the recruiting class; a stable, unhurried portal process.
All of it points to stability at head coach which is evident in the absence of December drama.
