In a recent interview with ESPN's Chris Low, Steve Sarkisian said he considered leaving Texas to replace Nick Saban at Alabama "for about 60 seconds."
That length of time is just long enough to make Texas fans' heart skip a beat, and just short enough to insult Alabama fans.
"Naturally, I'd be lying if I said I didn't think about it," Sarkisian told ESPN. "But it took me all of about 60 seconds to say, 'Yeah, I'm not doing that.' I had an awesome two years at Alabama and loved my time under Coach Saban, but ultimately you want to reap what you sow.
"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. I believe that. Our staff does, and our players do, too, just the support we have and the culture we've created here. Why leave something like that?"
In one metric, Sarkisian's Texas had already surpassed Saban's Alabama: the games. Sark was not the first former assistant to beat The Master, but in winning 34-24 in Tuscaloosa last September, he became the first (and only) to do so at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Sarkisian signed an extension that will keep him in Austin through 2030 and pays him $10.3 million this season. Kalen DeBoer signed an 8-year deal at Alabama that starts at $10 million.
Sarkisian has always been gracious and appreciative about his two stints under Saban. His first, as an analyst in 2016, saved his career following his unceremonious firing at USC, and his second, as offensive coordinator from 2019-20, which saved his life.
But Sarkisian also said his time under Saban's wing solidified that he didn't want to replace Saban.
"I remember talking to him in his office and it was, 'Coach, I want to go build my own legacy. I don't want to just stay here to continue yours,'" Sarkisian recalled upon taking the Texas job in 2021. "So those same thoughts came over me when I heard he was retiring. We're building something here that I think is going to be sustainable for a long, long time."
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