"I was so upset": Steve Sarkisian once faced ex-wife Loreal Sarkisian's wrath after his life-changing open heart surgery

Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian and his soon-to-be ex-wife Loreal Sarkisian took to Instagram to announce their divorce on July 26, 2024. The couple tied the knot in 2024, while Steve was with Alabama.

Steve Sarkisian has often talked about how Nick Saban saved his career by hiring him in 2016 after getting fired from USC due to his struggle with alcoholism. However, that's not the only thing Coach Saban helped Sarkisian with.

In 2020, thanks to Alabama's annual physical checkup for the staff, Sarkisian found out he had a heart issue, which needed emergency surgery. The condition was interrupting blood flow to the aorta, resulting in its inflammation. At the time of his checkup, it was already 6.5 cm big, enough to kill him at any moment.

In September 2023, Steve Sarkisian opened up about how his wife helped him during the weeks following the intense surgery while sharing an incident where she was angry with him (via ESPN):

"It's like rebooting your computer, and I didn't want to go back to the office until I felt like I was really physically prepared to go do it. My wife and I went on plenty of walks together. I got up early one morning and I went on about a two mile walk, and that was the first time I'd really walked by myself.

"I had to go up a pretty good hill in our neighborhood, and I remember sitting down kind of on on the curb, thinking, Well, if you can't do this, you can't coach like you're not going to be physically able to do it.

"So I got up and I walked to the top of this hill, and I turned around and walked back, and I was drenched and I remember walking in the door and my wife looking at me like, 'Where the hell have you been?'"

Talking about her reaction when Steve returned to the house, Loreal Sarkisian said:

"I was so upset, but he was ready, ready to get back to work. He's trying to prove it to himself, like, I can go back, I can coach. I can stand on the sidelines. I can be with the team. Football is his bread and butter." (3:10)

More about Loreal Sarkisian

Loreal Sarkisian was a track and field star during her college days and competed at several competitions during her time at North Carolina A&T State.

She also tried her hand at coaching following her athletic career with USC and the Florida Gators. However, Loreal pivoted her career towards another interest of hers, which was fashion.

Taking inspiration from her mother's career as a fashion designer, Loreal Sarkisian decided to pursue a career as a wardrobe stylist. She has also built a dynasty for herself on Instagram, with a following of over 118k followers.

Loreal is often seen showcasing her luxurious fashion choices on social media while collaborating with many fashion labels like Givenchy, Balmain, and more.

Fans will be intrigued to see whether Loreal Sarkisian continues making her appearances at Texas Longhorns' gamedays wearing her chic outfits.