There’s something unmistakably magnetic about Steve Sarkisian. You don’t have to squint too hard or lean in too close to notice it. His walk, his demeanor, the precision with which he operates, and the calm yet commanding tone of his voice have a way of capturing attention — and in some circles, drawing envy.
A former Texas Longhorns assistant, who spent two years under Sarkisian, described it like this: “It’s not just that Sark knows football. A lot of guys know football. It’s that he knows how to lead people, how to make players believe, how to make boosters feel like they’re part of something elite, how to make even outsiders feel like they’re missing out.”
This sense of “missing out” is at the core of the envy Sarkisian inspires — not just among fans of rival programs, but often, according to the former assistant, among peers in the coaching world. “When Sark walks into a room, there’s this unspoken understanding that he’s going to control it. Not in an arrogant way — it’s more subtle than that. It’s in how people gravitate toward him. It’s in how players talk about him, how administrators light up when his name comes up. That’s what makes people jealous. He’s got that ‘it’ factor.”
Much has been made of Sarkisian’s offensive acumen — and rightly so. His offensive schemes have shaped Heisman winners, first-round draft picks, and record-breaking seasons. But as the former assistant emphasized, the envy Sark evokes goes beyond just Xs and Os. “It’s easy to say, ‘Oh, Sark is a great play-caller.’ But I’ve worked with guys who could draw up a mean game plan and couldn’t command a locker room to save their lives. Sark’s gift is synthesis. He combines football IQ, emotional intelligence, charisma, and timing in a way that makes people feel like he’s always one step ahead.”
That combination, the assistant explained, can lead to tension in the coaching ranks. “There are coaches out there who look at Sark and think, ‘Why him?’ Because they know they’ve paid their dues, too. They’ve grinded. They’ve worked 18-hour days. But the truth is, Sark has figured out how to elevate above the grind. He’s built a culture where guys want to work for him, players want to play for him, and Texas — with all its pressure — suddenly feels like a place where people are enjoying the challenge.”
The envy, according to the assistant, is most potent because Sarkisian makes success look natural — even when it’s anything but. “People forget the journey he’s been on. They forget the setbacks, the personal battles, the time he spent completely out of the game. But Sark came back sharper. It’s like he used those moments to build a deeper well of insight, and now he draws from it. That’s rare. That’s not normal. And when people see someone bounce back better than ever? That stings. Especially if they’re still stuck in the mud.”
Perhaps most telling is how Sarkisian turns doubters into believers — often without directly engaging them. “He doesn’t chase approval,” the assistant said. “That’s part of his appeal. He just shows up, does the work, builds the plan, and lets the results speak for themselves. When Texas struggled early in his tenure, a lot of people wanted to pile on. But Sark stayed steady. Internally, we knew he had a three-year vision. And what happened? By year three, Texas was playing in the College Football Playoff.”
The transformation Sarkisian has engineered at Texas isn’t purely tactical — it’s cultural. And that, the assistant argued, is another source of envy. “People are watching Texas become cool again. The facilities didn’t change overnight. The money was always there. What changed was the vibe. Sark walked in and shifted the energy. Recruits felt it. Fans felt it. Recruits’ moms and dads felt it. Suddenly, playing for Texas wasn’t just about tradition — it was about building something new, something fresh.”
And Sarkisian’s approach to recruiting only adds fuel to the envy. “You sit in those meetings, and Sark is just different. He doesn’t oversell. He doesn’t promise the moon. He paints a picture, tells a story, and the kids buy in. Not because they’re being sold — but because they feel included in a bigger plan. Sark talks about growth, about development, about how Texas is going to help these young men become pros — on and off the field. That’s powerful. That’s real leadership.”
The envy, the assistant admitted, often stems from the things Sark doesn’t do. “He doesn’t panic. He doesn’t overreact. He doesn’t micromanage. That’s tough for a lot of old-school coaches to watch. Because they were taught to grind their assistants down, to bark orders, to live on edge. Sark is surgical. He delegates. He empowers. And then he takes accountability when it counts. People see that and think, ‘Why aren’t my guys doing that for me?’”
Even the way Sarkisian manages the spotlight draws admiration and resentment in equal measure. “He knows when to step forward and when to fade back. In this NIL and transfer portal era, a lot of coaches are either too loud or completely invisible. Sark is visible without being self-serving. That balance? It drives people nuts — because it looks effortless.”
The former assistant paused before adding, “I think the real reason people envy Sark is because he doesn’t need to be the guy all the time — but he still ends up being the guy. That’s power.”
Of course, envy isn’t always rooted in resentment. Sometimes, it’s admiration that hasn’t yet found a healthy outlet. As the assistant noted, “There are coaches who would love to emulate what Sark’s doing, but they don’t have the infrastructure, the charisma, or the vision. So they tell themselves it’s luck. That Texas just recruits itself. But if that were true, why didn’t this happen under the last coach? Or the one before him?”
The truth is, Sarkisian has tapped into something deeper at Texas — a synthesis of modern leadership and old-school toughness, backed by elite football knowledge and an ability to connect. “He doesn’t flinch in hard moments,” the assistant said. “He’ll have your back when it counts. And when he looks a recruit in the eye and tells him he’s going to take him to the next level, he means it. That authenticity is what seals the deal.”
Even former players who didn’t see the field as much as they hoped tend to speak positively about their time under Sarkisian. That’s another reason other coaches watch him warily. “He’s not just building depth charts — he’s building loyalty,” the assistant said. “There’s not a lot of turnover in his inner circle, and that continuity matters. It means players trust him. Families trust him. And eventually, wins follow.”
It also helps that Sarkisian has learned from some of the best, including Nick Saban. But as the assistant pointed out, “Sark didn’t just copy Saban — he took what worked and made it his own. That’s the difference. A lot of guys come out of the Saban tree and try to mimic the whole thing. But Sark has his own voice, his own rhythm. He leads in a way that makes people want to follow.”
For those on the outside looking in, especially coaches competing for the same recruits or playoff spots, that level of influence can be hard to stomach. “They see Sark pulling top-five recruiting classes, dominating the portal, winning big games, and doing it with style — and they wonder, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ That’s where the envy lives.”
The assistant, no longer on staff but still deeply connected to the program, believes Sark’s best days are still ahead. “He’s got Texas positioned in a way that not many people thought was possible a few years ago. And he’s doing it while staying true to who he is. That’s the ultimate flex.”
Envy, when it boils down to it, is often a recognition of excellence — a reluctant acknowledgment that someone else has cracked a code you’re still fumbling with. And Sarkisian, for all the scrutiny he’s faced in his career, now stands as a figure who’s not just cracked the code — he’s rewriting it.
“He’s not perfect,” the assistant said. “But he’s precise. He knows where he’s going. And more importantly, he knows how to bring people with him. That’s rare. That’s why he inspires envy. Because deep down, a lot of folks wish they could do it the way he does.”
And in the high-stakes world of college football — where envy is as common as game-day noise — there’s perhaps no greater compliment.