Steve Sarkisian on The Pivot Podcast, "This is what it's supposed to look like."
If you’re unfamiliar with The Pivot Podcast don’t feel bad, neither was I until a few hours ago. Or, maybe we should feel bad because it’s good.
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The podcast is comprised of three NFL veterans. Hard hitting former Steelers safety Ryan Clark guides the conversation, Jaguars workhorse running back Fred Taylor asks quality questions and provides keen insight, and former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder adds comic relief seemingly born from his own experiences. Overall I was impressed with how prepared and knowledgeable they were about Steve Sarkisian and Texas football, and was equally impressed with the balance they struck between easy going and asking the more difficult questions.
By now Sark’s story should be familiar to you. If you’ve seen him at one of the numerous events he’s held either with the Texas Exes or the Texas One Fund, he’s candid, affable, and insightful. When you hear him talk in a setting like this it becomes clear why the Texas triumvirate of Kevin Eltife, Jay Hartzell, and Chris Del Conte targeted him to replace Tom Herman. Sark’s authenticity is on full display here as he navigates myriad topics on and off the field.
The video begins with a teasing opening. Sark is chided for his fashion sense which Clark attributes to his wife, L’Oreal. Sark mentions the shoes were a Michael Huff recommendation. Huff serves as a good transition as they discuss the 2006 Rose Bowl where along with some Texas teammates Huff made the game saving tackle on Lendale White. They would return to this topic later in the episode.
Following the lighthearted opening, Clark directs the conversation towards Sark’s unceremonious dismissal at USC. As he always does, Sark tackles that topic head on. He acknowledges he was resigned to go into television and thought his coaching days were over. That was until Nick Saban offered him a lifeline to be an analyst at Alabama. Sark mentions he would have accepted that role for free but Saban told him they’d have to pay him $30,000 so he could qualify for benefits.
After discussing Saban’s influence, Sark addresses what he learned from Pete Carroll. One thing that stood out to Sark about Carroll was how he connects with his players.
The third-year Texas coach mentions leaving Washington for USC was maybe the biggest mistake of his career. He states he was too focused on looking ahead rather than enjoying what he was building. ‘The process’ is something he makes sure to embrace now as he rebuilds Texas and he feels gratitude every morning he walks into the building.
Of course he’s no stranger to rebuilds. He discusses how Washington was 0-12 the year before he arrived, how USC was on probation and down to 50 scholarship players, how Atlanta was coming off a devastating Super Bowl loss, and how Texas suffered a decade of down years. Sark tells the trio of former NFL players he embraces challenges and he is “built for this.”
You can tell from watching the video Sark relishes the chance to go into Tuscaloosa next year to draw even against Saban after last season’s narrow loss to Alabama in DKR. You can also see confidence in where he has the program at this point. You could also hear it in his statement, “It’s Year 3. It feels and looks like my team. The way the players talk, the way they act, what they look like…I’m like, ‘okay, now we’re about ready to go. This is what it’s supposed to look like.”
Nobody has done better at adapting within his profession than Saban. Even though he’s held long term residence at the height of college football he has also been quick to adapt in order to stay there. Sark mentioned “adapt or die” a few times, notable when discussing the current college football landscape. Fred Taylor accurately mentions it isn’t NIL or the portal that’s the problem, it’s the confluence of both at the same time. The four seemed to all wonder if the new era was a positive one for 18-22 year-old men, but you can tell Sark believes it doesn’t really matter what he thinks because he has to navigate anyway. Here he stresses the importance of honest relationships.
If there was a low point, it was Sarkisian publicly admitting his fashion forward wife dresses him on game day.
All in all, the podcast is well worth your time, not only because of Sark’s insights and forthrightness, but because of the quality of the entire conversation.
