Texas HC Steve Sarkisian often mutes group chat because of Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin: "I don’t have time for this"

The Texas Longhorns and HC Steve Sarkisian are excited that they are now part of one of the strongest conferences in the country, the SEC. Sarkisian, the former analyst and offensive coordinator of the Alabama Crimson Tide, joins the likes of Billy Napier, Kirby Smart, and Lane Kiffin in the conference's coaching stable.

Sarkisian and Kiffin are now rivals but they once were colleagues who have always respected each other’s coaching style. The two held positions at the USC Trojans and since then the two have stayed close to each other. They are so close that they are in a common group chat, which often ends up getting muted by Steve Sarkisian because of Kiffin's comments.

“I’m [in the group chat],” Sarkisian said, as per BroBible. “I’ve muted it from time to time. You know, Lane can get on a role, and I’m like, 'I don’t have time for this.'”

Many fans can definitely relate to the Texas coach's statement because there are always those friends who love to chat.

Steve Sarkisian expressed his gratitude toward Nick Saban

After Steve Sarkisian was fired from the position of head coach of the USC Trojans, he was hired by Nick Saban in 2016 as the offensive analyst and then the interim offensive coordinator in the same year. Saban pulled Sarkisian from rock bottom and established himself as a talented coach, which then also led him to become the head coach of the Longhorns in 2021.

Sarkisian thanked Saban at the 2024 SEC Media Days in Dallas on July 17. He said:

“I want to talk briefly about Coach Saban,” Sarkisian said at SEC Media Days. “I know everybody has been coming up [and] talking about it, and you know you’ve impacted a lot of people who have been up on this stage.

“No one have you impacted more than me. I would not be standing here today without you and what you’ve meant to my career, to my life, and I can’t thank you enough, and the impact that you’ve had on our game has been second to none, and I just can’t thank you enough. I want to be able to publicly do that to you, Coach. Thank you very, very much.”

Even though Saban does not trust that the Longhorns will run the SEC this year, Sarkisian will continue to honor his former colleague's coaching tree legacy as he joins the SEC conference this year.