"How was I even ready?" - When Steve Sarkisian laughed off getting hired as a head coach at 33 years of age
Texas coach Steve Sarkisian has done a fine job since being hired by the program in January 2021. He became an instant fan favorite with the Longhorns in his first press conference when he opened up about some of his coaching experiences.
Sarkisian also said he got his first head coaching job with the Washington Huskies in 2009 and discussed the surreal experiences he underwent at the time.
"At 33 years old, taking over a program, you know I'm laughing now thinking back 'How was I even ready at 33?' to go do that," Sarkisian said. "And you do it to the best of your ability." [31:40]
"At that time I inherited the University of Washington and they were 0-12 in the year before. And we ended up going to four straight bowl games."
Sarkisian coached Washington for five seasons, posting a 34–29 record. He had a 2–2 record in bowl games with the Huskies.
Sarkisian also coached the USC Trojans for a season and a half, compiling a 12–6 record. The Trojans fired him in Oct. 2015 after reports suggested he had multiple incidents of intoxication on the job.
Between his USC firing and taking up the Texas coaching job, Sarkisian had two stints as Alabama's offensive coordinator. He also worked as an offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons for two seasons.
Steve Sarkisian's Texas suffered first defeat of 2024 season in Week 8 vs Georgia
Steve Sarkisian's Texas suffered its first defeat of the season against Georgia in Week 8 on Saturday. The Longhorns, who lost their No. 1 rank after a 30–15 defeat to the Bulldogs, tumbled down to No. 5 in the latest AP Poll rankings ahead of Week 9.
Despite the loss against Kirby Smart's Georgia, Texas is still in the hunt to qualify for the College Football Playoff. However, Sarkisian's team will want to avoid another slip-up in the coming weeks, which could dent its chances of making the playoffs.
The Longhorns will be on the road when they face Vanderbilt on Saturday.