Joel Klatt explains how Steve Sarkisian's early career struggles have shaped Texas football

Steve Sarkisian’s road to Texas was long and winding, to say the least. His head coaching journey started at Washington before a brief stint at USC, some time as an assistant with the Atlanta Falcons and at Alabama.

Now, he’s at Texas, and FOX Sports’ Joel Klatt said Sarkisian’s past struggles have helped him shape the Longhorns program.

Klatt mentioned a conversation he had with Sarkisian that proved that point. Prior to Texas’ game against Alabama, the Longhorns headman sat down with Klatt and Gus Johnson — who were calling the game for FOX — and talked about his mentors. That’s when he brought up advice he received from two of them.

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

“He said some things to me a couple weeks ago in our meetings getting ready for that Alabama game that I just found striking, and he talked about two of his best mentors,” Klatt said on “The Herd” with Colin Cowherd. “His mentors are LaVell Edwards — who he played for — then Pete Carroll and Nick Saban. … All very different, by the way, and eclectic in a lot of ways. But he talked, specifically, about how Pete and Nick, it didn’t happen early for them, and the real success happened after they were 50 years old. That’s when they took off. And he said he talked a lot with those guys about the value of experience and the value of authenticity.

“And one of the things that I think Sark does now better than he did, certainly early in his career, is he knows himself and he owns it. He knows exactly the type of program he wants to have, he knows the type of coach he wants to be. And that’s a powerful thing, and those of you out there, like me, who have gone through tough things in your life and you get over them, you know much more about yourself, and those trials and tribulations they produce perseverance. That’s a biblical thing. They produce perseverance. This guy has a totally different perspective on being a head coach and being a leader of this program now vs. what he was at USC as a head coach or even as a head coach back at Washington, and it’s bleeding into the rest of the program.”

Joel Klatt: Steve Sarkisian and I have struggled with the same thing

Klatt also opened up about his personal connection with Sarkisian and how his personal struggles also helped him become the coach he is today. In fact, it was a similar struggle Klatt dealt with in his life.

“I’ve known Steve Sarkisian for a long time. … I know I’ve said this, and I’m not afraid to say it publicly, Steve and I have struggled with the same thing,” Klatt said. “I’m 11 years sober now. He’s sober. So we’ve talked a lot about just life together when we sit in an office together, and I respect what he’s done in his life. It hasn’t always been easy for him.”

Klatt also talked about a difference he’s seen at Texas this season — something he talked about previously. He thinks the Longhorns aren’t as concerned about being “back” as the used to be, and that’s why the program’s in a good spot.

“I talked to you about just feeling different around that program. It’s the first time in a decade that it wasn’t all about just being ‘back,'” Klatt said. “They were so consumed at Texas and around that program for the better part of a decade with the destination of being ‘back,’ that they weren’t focusing on the chase. Nick Saban calls it, ‘The chase is better than the capture,’ and for the first time, I think Steve Sarkisian understands and is comfortable with the chase in his team and in his own personal life, and I think that’s what makes him such a good coach right now.”