"2000 lbs?": When Steve Sarkisian walked into Texas' field with wife Loreal for the first time and shot a cannon 

Following a successful tenure as the Alabama Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian was hired by the Texas Longhorns in January 2021. He replaced Tom Herman, who was fired from the position after the 2020 college football season, and was tasked with returning the Longhorns to their powerhouse status.

On his first day at the new job, Steve Sarkisian and his wife Loreal Sarkisian toured the program at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The coach met the program's mascot Bevo on the field and expressed his surprise at the weight of the iconic Longhorn cattle.

“2000 pounds? It's unbelievable how massive he is. Incredible,” Sarkisian said.

In a video shared by the Longhorns on YouTube, Sarkisian was also seen firing "Smokey the Canon", a famous replica of a Civil War-era artillery canon, which is typically fired every time the Longhorns score and at the end of games when they win at home.

Texas was happy to have Steve Sarkisian on board

Sarkisian was coming off the most successful of his two full seasons with Alabama when Texas hired him. He had just led the most successful offense under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa with both Mac Jones and Devonta Smith finishing as Heisman Trophy finalists.

This raised hopes about his tenure in Austin and the program was more than happy to have him on board. Texas had struggled significantly for more than a decade before his hiring and he offered a huge chance of returning the program back to the pinnacle of college football.

“Steve Sarkisian is one of the top offensive minds in the game of football, which he has proved over and over during his time with USC, Atlanta and most recently, Alabama,” Texas' Athletics Director Chris Del Conte said in a statement via The Daily Texan.

“We are confident our players and coaches will thrive under his leadership and in response to his energy and passion for the game,” he added.

Sarkisian expressed happiness to be in Austin

Steve Sarkisian marked his return to a head coaching role after serving as an assistant at the Atlanta Falcons and Alabama. Before then, he was the head coach of Washington from 2009 to 2013 and then USC from 2014 to 2015.

“There has always been something special about Longhorn football, its history and traditions — not just on that day — and I could never have imagined that 15 years later, I would join the Longhorns as their head coach,” Sarkisian said in a statement.

“This is a unique and compelling opportunity to lead this storied program to the next level, competing once again amongst the best in college football,” he added.

So far, Sarkisian has lived up to expectations at Texas. Four years on, he's transformed the Longhorns into one of the top programs in the landscape, boasting a 31-15 record and a Big 12 championship title. A lot is expected from him in the coming years in Austin.

Can Steve Sarkisian's Longhorns win the national championship this season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.