“He has brought a winning culture”: Texas QB Quinn Ewers highlights Steve Sarkisian's contributions to Longhorns team
Steve Sarkisian is among the best coaches in the nation currently. The Texas head coach not only proved his abilities during the 2023 season but has also been making bold moves in the transfer portal during the off-season.
Sarkisian was first appointed as the Washington Huskies' head coach from 2009 through to 2013. He then joined the USC Trojans from 2014 to 2015 before going with the Longhorns in 2021.
He had a bit of a rocky start to his tenure at Texas but was able to turn things around in the 2023 college football season. The Longhorns had an impressive 12-2 run last year, including a remarkable win against Nick Saban's Alabama, which was the latter team's first double-digit loss at home in 18 years.
In a conversation with former NFL star Robert Griffin III, Texas QB Quinn Ewers spoke about the change Sarkisian has brought to the team:
"I mean, I think that he has brought a winning culture back to this university. And I think that's the main thing. I can stop there and talk about that. I mean, the way that we practice and the way that we work out, I mean, I don't think there's another team in the country that takes more pride in how hard we practice." Quinn Ewers said. (23:21)
Quinn Ewers opens up about his relationship with Arch Manning
Steve Sarkisian has done a tremendous job at developing one of the best quarterback rooms in the country currently. It has powerhouses like Trey Owens, Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning.
However, many individuals expected Manning to hit the transfer portal going into his second year with the Longhorns. This was after his impressive performance at the 2024 spring game, where he went 19-for-26 for 355 yards and scored three touchdowns, along with one interception.
Despite the outside noise, both Ewers and Manning are doing a good job of focusing on what's important and have successfully built a good rapport with each other.
In the same interview, Quinn Ewers talked about his "competitive yet close" relationship with Arch Manning:
"I think we're really intense competitors. And we all want the same outcome. But at the end of the day, I think, I think we are better humans. And I think we are better people. And I think that we really enjoy each other's company in that quarterback room.
"I mean, during the season we go to do quarterback dinners every Tuesday and we go have dinner together after Tuesday meeting. So, I mean, the room is, I've never been in a closer room." (18:40)
Both Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning are seen as future superstars. Their competitive friendship is likely to have a great impact on both players.