"I study Kobe, I read about Kobe": When Steve Sarkisian opened up on NBA legend's impact in his coaching career

Head coach Steve Sarkisian has built a championship-contending program in Texas. To do so, he has drawn some inspiration from none other than former Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant.

During a SportsCenter appearance in 2024, Sarkisian talked about Kobe Bryant and how the five-time NBA champion impacted his team ahead of last season.

“I study Kobe, I read about Kobe. My daughter and his daughter played volleyball together in high school growing up. The thing about Kobe was, he was relentless. He was absolutely relentless to his approach to the game. Whether it was the mental approach, the physical approach, the practice, the killer instinct he possessed.

“But quite frankly, his obsession. He had an absolute obsession with being the greatest and having his team being the greatest. And we’ve adopted a lot of the mamba mentality, quite frankly,” Steve Sarkisian said (3:03).

Bryant’s “mamba mentality” has become popular in sports, as the former guard was known for his competitiveness, in particular in clutch situations.

The 2024 season presented a special challenge for the Texas Longhorns, as they played their first season in the SEC. Steve Sarkisian’s squad responded by going 13-3 and losing in the College Football Playoff Semifinals to the eventual champion Ohio State Buckeyes.

The Longhorns only lost two conference games, both against the Georgia Bulldogs, and finished the season ranked fourth in the CFP. They also defeated Clemson and Arizona State in the playoff, before ultimately falling short against the Buckeyes in the Cotton Bowl.

Steve Sarkisian praised Texas culture

For Steve Sarkisian, one of the most important parts of building a team is the culture of the squad. During that same appearance, Sark talked about how the Longhorns’ locker room has responded.

“The connectivity that we have in our locker room is huge. The love that we have in our locker room is huge. I think that’s part of the reason you win some of those tough games.

“I don’t want to say it gets easier, but the reality is to me, culture is organic, and our culture is one that has grown organically over the four years that we’ve been together and I think it’s stronger than ever right now,” Steve Sarkisian said.

With many players remaining at Austin for a number of years, Sark and his staff can rely on that same culture to settle on the team from year to year. Texas will face a new challenge in 2025, as they will open the season among the favorites to win the national title.