It's been a long journey back to prominence for Steve Sarkisian
Steve Sarkisian’s career with its ups, downs, and everything in between has been well-documented. From star assistant then playcaller for the USC Trojans under Pete Carroll, to program-builder who helped a moribund Washington return to competitiveness, to USC head coach who fell from grace because of personal demons, to star coordinator for Alabama, the current Texas head coach has been through a journey few in the sport can say they’ve experienced.
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When Sarkisian was fired by USC in 2015 for his substance abuse issues, he wondered if he’d ever coach again. Not only did programs avoid giving him opportunities, they didn’t even provide opportunities for opportunities.
“I was out of work,” Sarkisian said Sunday on if he wondered if he’d be in a position like the one he currently finds himself in. “Couldn’t get an interview, never mind a job, never mind thinking about the College Football Playoffs. Sure, it did. I think that’s what makes part of this journey with this team this year probably so gratifying.”
Sarkisian, throughout his time under the scrutiny that’s part and parcel with being the Texas head football coach, has been honest with his assistants, his players, and the media about his fall from grace. That honesty reveals why he’s been so focused on attacking this season with his trademark “All Gas, No Brakes” mentality. He had an inkling prior to the year this team could be a contender for great things, including a conference championship and Playoff spot during Texas’ last season as members of the Big 12.
“I think part of that puts things into perspective in that you appreciate the opportunities that you get,” Sarkisian said. “You appreciate the people that you’re around every day. And you try to pour into those people. And when you pour into them, sometimes you get results like this, and you get on teams like this, and you get to be part of special seasons like this.
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“So very grateful and thankful for the opportunity here, from the University of Texas, but also from the opportunity and appreciation for these players and the staff and the work that they’ve done to get us to this point.”
Sarkisian, like most coaches, prefers to give the praise and attention to his players rather than put any sort of focus on himself. But considering the stage his efforts have placed him on ahead of Monday’s CFP semifinal, Sarkisian took the opportunity to relay how he hopes his journey back to the upper echelon of the sport can inspire others.
“It’s fascinating to think of the journey that me personally, that I’ve been on, to get to this point,” Sarkisian said. “But I’m hopeful that my story can serve as some sort of motivation to others. We don’t have to stay where we are in life. If we have our goals set on something and we live a life of doing things the right way and do the next right thing and treat people well and work hard, be disciplined, be focused, hold yourself accountable, be committed to something, have some mental toughness to overcome the adversity that we have, we can change, right? Life can change. Life can change for the better. And that’s no different for our players, either.
“Hopefully, I can serve a little bit of a model of that, that we can change the narrative for ourselves and we can build towards something even greater than we have right now.”
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After the events of eight years ago, Sarkisian wasn’t sure if he’d get to this point.
“But not anymore; here we are,” he said.
