Steve Sarkisian said that he pondered replacing Nick Saban at Alabama.
TUSCALOOSA, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 09: (L-R) Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian talks with Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban before the game at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, on September 9, 2023. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images.)Getty Images
Steve Sarkisian acknowledged to considering replacing Nick Saban at Alabama after the 72-year-old coach retired in Tuscaloosa.
For the record, it wasn’t particularly long.
“Naturally, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think about it,” the Texas coach told ESPN. “But it took me only about 60 seconds to say, ‘Yeah, I’m not doing that.'” I had a fantastic two years at Alabama and enjoyed my time with Coach Saban, but you have to reap what you sow.”
Sarkisian was Saban’s offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
“We’ve poured a ton into this program for three years, and we’re on the cusp, I think, of going on a run that will be epic,” Sarkisian said in an interview. “I believe it. Our staff and athletes appreciate the support and culture we’ve established here. “Why leave something like that?”
Sarkisian was not the first former assistant to defeat Saban, but he was the first to do so at Bryant-Denny Stadium, when the Longhorns defeated the Tide 34-24 in Tuscaloosa in September.
Mark Heim is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter, @Mark_Heim. He may be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” at WNSP-FM.
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