"I came here to win a championship": Texas HC Steve Sarkisian made a bold statement ahead of Longhorns' transition to SEC in 2024

When Steve Sarkisian took over at Texas in 2021, his major obligation was to bring back the program to prominence in college football. Three seasons down the line, the coach seems to be on the right track in achieving the goal of returning to the pinnacle of the landscape.

The Longhorns won the Big 12 championship in 2023 in what was their last season in the conference, securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. This marks a resurgence for the program as they head to the SEC in 2024, and Steve Sarkisian continues to reinstate his goals:

“I came here to win a championship and then if I can get one I want to get two,” Sarkisian said. “I’m borderline obsessed with it at this point. … I know how close we were and I can’t wait to get back and hopefully, that’s what our team really starts to exude is this obsession with being the best.”

Steve Sarkisian is wary of complacency

Sarkisian holds the ambition to take Texas to the level Alabama, Georgia and Michigan have attained in recent years. Going forward, he wants the Longhorns to become a perennial contender following a shot at the national title the previous season.

Nonetheless, the former Alabama offensive coordinator is wary of the massive damage being complacent can cause to the team, believing the Longhorns have to develop its own culture:

“Complacency is like the devil,” Sarkisian said. “I cannot afford anybody in our building to feel like we’ve arrived because this is a new team. This team now has to develop their culture. This team has to develop their strengths. This team, I have to identify their weaknesses and how we can improve upon those things.”

The College Football Playoff disappointment

Texas was denied a chance to reach the national championship game following the loss to Washington in the Sugar Bowl. Steve Sarkisian disclosed that came as a big disappointment for the team despite what they achieved last season:

“One of my biggest things in the locker room was I understood the disappointment — we were all disappointed. In the end, we came into the season to be champions and they were Big 12 Conference champions, something that hadn’t been done here in a long, long time.”

Sarkisian's obsession to win the national championship with Texas is evident. With a 12-team playoff set to kick off next season, the Longhorns could be having it easier. However, they will be in a more competitive SEC in 2024 and it will be interesting to see how they fare in 2024.