Texas football: Steve Sarkisian already making Tom Herman look ridiculous
By John Buhler
Texas football head coach Steve Sarkisian looks to be a big step up over Tom Herman already.
One spring practice in as the face of the Texas football program and head coach Steve Sarkisian is already making his predecessor Tom Herman look terrible.
Steven Wagner of the Dallas Morning News revealed a very interesting tidbit when it comes to the Longhorns’ first practice of the spring. Sarkisian said that 90 percent of Texas’ practices will feature starters going up against starters, which is a stark contrast to what Herman did in four years at Austin when starters practiced against backups.
It is clear Sarkisian embraced the iron sharpens iron philosophy during his time working for Nick Saban at Alabama.
“It was awesome to be back out on the field with these guys,” said Sarkisian. “I thought there was really good intent from the guys to practice hard, to be willing to work. Anytime you have a new practice style and a new practice format, it can be challenging, and I think it was a little bit for the guys today. I thought for the most part, they did a nice job of battling through.”
“I think we need to have more players continuing to finish practice strong and get out of a little bit of a survival mode, but that will come with time, that will come with even more conditioning and football conditioning and being on the field, but we definitely need to emphasize that.”
Sarkisian says almost 90% of Texas’ practices are starters competing against starters, a stark contrast in practice philosophy from Tom Herman. Herman often favored playing starters against the second string in practice.
— Stephen Wagner (@stephenwagOn3) April 10, 2021
Texas football: Steve Sarkisian will be able to do what Tom Herman never could
This is a great time to be a Texas football fan. It is abundantly clear they have the right coach in place. Complacency and entitlement will no longer cut it. While the #AllGasNoBrakes rebuilding mantra could get stale fast, the philosophies Sarkisian is preaching will do wonders for this continually underperforming Big 12 brand. He is exactly what they need.
Overall, the Longhorns still have a way to go to catch the Oklahoma Sooners or become what the Iowa State Cyclones have become under their fantastic head coach Matt Campbell. However, there is so much talent in The Lone Star State that with the right leader of the program in charge, Texas can maybe finally think about being back relatively soon. Sarkisian will be the man to do it for them.
For the first time in years, it feels like Texas will finally be the football program we know it can be.
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