Steve Sarkisian discusses how his two new assistants are gelling with position groups

Texas didn’t have a successful football season in 2021, but Steve Sarkisian made some changes in the offseason with hopes of putting a much better product on the field once the 2022 campaign gets underway. Among the changes Sarkisian made was hiring a pair of new assistant coaches in Tashard Choice and Brennan Marion – and the duo seems to be making a positive impact on the Longhorns’ program already.

While Choice was brought on to lead Texas’ running backs room, Marion was tabbed as the Longhorns’ passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach – two important offensive positions for Sarkisian’s club. Looking specifically at Choice, he made the move to Austin after spending three seasons as Georgia Tech‘s running backs coach and brings plenty of energy to Texas, according to Sarkisian.

“Coach Choice, his energy is pretty incredible,” Sarkisian said. “I mean, this guy is an intense guy every day. He doesn’t pick and choose – it’s every day, every topic, whatever it is. He’s very demanding of the players. … I think that the players are learning a lot from him and his style. We’re finishing runs at a level that I haven’t seen running backs finish, which is real positive, which is putting them in a really conditioned space – and we’ve got a versatile group.”

As Sarkisian spoke highly of Choice, the head coach also shared how much Texas’ wide receivers have bought into Marion – who came to the Longhorns from Pittsburgh – and his coaching style, saying that the group is playing at a completely different level.

“Coach Marion, I think, has really earned the respect of those wideouts,” Sarkisian said. “He’s a real technician. Those guys – they get on the grass and they go to work. I think that he allows them to learn conceptually. … They don’t learn just one position. They’re learning big pictures, so a lot of guys are interchangeable – and I’m seeing growth.

“Every guy at those position groups is getting better, and they’re getting better at things we want them to get better at – and that’s the sign of a good coach. At the end of the day, I think good coaches get what they emphasize.”

Texas will continue to go through spring practices leading up to its annual Orange vs. White spring game on Saturday, April 23.