"I would remind myself to be brave": When Steve Sarkisian shared the best advice he would give to his 15 Y/O self

Steve Sarkisian was the keynote speaker at the Boys and Girls Club of the Austin Area luncheon in June 2021, a couple of months before his first season in charge of Texas. He was already a popular figure in Austin, with lofty expectations around the city.

At the event, a 15-year-old high school kid asked Sarkisian what he would tell himself if he could go back to his age. For the coach, that was way long ago, and there's a lot he's learned since then.

“I would remind myself to be brave,” Sarkisian said. “When I was young, and even now I have to remind myself of that. I'm cautious at times, and sometimes ... I think, ‘Well, that's not maybe meant for me or not supposed to be for me or that somebody else is better at that than me, so I don't want to go do that.’

“And I look back now sometimes, even at my own youth and even in my early career of high school and into college, (the motivation) was to be brave and to go for it. And later in life, I kind of figured this part out. We can achieve a lot just through effort and trying and willingness and putting in the work.”

Steve Sarkisian showcases bravery right from his arrival at Texas

Steve Sarkisian has shown bravery throughout his coaching career. Despite the ups and downs in the early years, he was able to overcome the challenges. This was the bravery he brought to Texas, and the ambition was clear right from the start.

“We will, in my opinion, assemble the best, if not one of the best, staffs in America,” Sarkisian said. “And then our job ultimately is to put our young men in the best position to be successful, whether that's on the football field, in the classroom or in life.

“And I think all three of those things go hand in hand when you talk about developing a program and sustaining a program over an extended period of time of a championship-caliber team, so, all in all, this is an exciting time for me.”

Four years into the journey in Austin, Steve Sarkisian has returned Texas to the pinnacle of college football. He has led the Longhorns to the Big 12 championship while also appearing in the SEC championship game in their first season. The program has also made it to the College Football Playoff semifinal in the last two seasons.