Steve Sarkisian talks about how he ‘failed’ Texas in one primary area ahead of 2025 season
By Sydney Hunte
Published:
Steve Sarkisian said that while Texas‘s “culture work” usually is done in the summer, he wishes he had done it differently in 2025.
“I failed our team a year ago by doing it that way, and I felt like we didn’t have the culture needed early in the season to make that happen, to be the team that we were capable of being,” the Longhorns head coach said. “I learned my lesson.”
Instead, Sarkisian opted to start culture-building activities much earlier in the year — February, in fact.
“I think it’s paid dividends. They all said, ‘Man, I love how summer’s going, I love how close we are as a team,'” he said.
One example? A scavenger hunt that Longhorns players participated in on Wednesday in Austin, one that saw some of them “competing to the end” to be the winner despite the triple-digit heat. While it may have been fun and games, Steve Sarkisian pointed to it as part of the culture-building that can help the team in the long run.
With a total of 47 new players — 25 from high school and 22 from the transfer portal — that’s key for a program looking to return to the College Football Playoff after missing out a season ago.
“Those are the moments that are going to get us through the tough fourth quarters. Those are the moments that are going to get us through some tough road games of where we’re headed this fall,” Sarkisian said.
Sydney is an Atlanta-based journalist who has covered everything from SEC and ACC football to MLS, the U.S. men's national soccer team and professional tennis. His work has appeared on such platforms as SB Nation, Cox Media Group and FanSided.
