Skip to main content

Texas Longhorns First Lady Loreal Sarkisian Turns Heads Before Nick Saban Doc Release

Loreal Sarkisian, wife of Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, is making headlines once again.
Loreal Sarkisian, wife of Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, before the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Loreal Sarkisian, wife of Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian, before the Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

In this story:

Steve Sarkisian is getting prepared for a heated rivalry game with Oklahoma this weekend as the Texas Longhorns look to remain undefeated and hold onto their spot as the No. 1 team in college football.

The matchup marks the sixth time Sarkisian has coached against Oklahoma. He's 3-2 overall in the Red River Rivalry and will be looking to extend that lead this weekend.

But before heading up to Dallas to join him, Sarkisian's wife, Loreal Sarkisian, is set to be among the many notable faces in attendance in Tuscaloosa for a special event on Thursday night.

Loreal Sarkisian to Attend Nick Saban Documentary Premiere in Tuscaloosa

Loreal Sarkisian
Loreal Sarkisian, wife of Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, holds up the sign of the horns in the endzone before the game at Royal Memorial Stadium on Sep. 10, 2022. | USA TODAY Sports

Steve Sarkisian told reporters during Wednesday's SEC Media Teleconference that Loreal will be attending the premiere of the Nick Saban ESPN documentary in Tuscaloosa on Thursday night.

Though it appears that Steve is unable to make it while finalizing preparations for gameday, the presence of his wife at the event speaks volumes to what the Saban family meant to them during Sarkisian's time at Alabama and then Texas.

This is something Steve talked about while speaking with the media.

"They're great people," Sarkisian said of The Sabans. "My wife is actually going to the release tomorrow night in Tuscaloosa as well. They've been great to us and our family for for quite some time now. So really happy for them."

The Sarkisians got married in 2020 during Steve's second stint with the Crimson Tide under Saban. They established their roots in Tuscaloosa before making the move to Austin, but it's clear they haven't forgotten about what Saban and Miss Terry mean to them.

"I think the one thing that I don't know if everybody knows about Coach Saban and Miss Terry, you don't get hired by Nick Saban until you have dinner with Miss Terry and Coach Saban," Steve Sarkisian said. "And generally speaking, you got a good chance to get hired if after the interview he says, 'Hey, we're going to change your flight till tomorrow. Why don't you come to the house and have dinner with Miss Terry and I tonight? Because that's when you really get the stamp of approval. It doesn't really matter how much Coach Saban likes you, Miss Terry's got to like you too."

Loreal Sarkisian and Steve Sarkisian Went Viral Last Month

Loreal Sarkisian
Texas Longhorns head coach Steve Sarkisian and his wife Loreal Sarkisian walk off the field after defeating the Kentucky Wildcats at Darrell K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

After the epic comeback win over Ohio State last month, Steve and Loreal had a viral candid moment at the railing over the south endzone tunnel at DKR.

With all of the fans out of the stadium, the two of them took a second to soak in the moment, which captured the human element that comes with being a head coach in college football.

Take a look:

He spoke at length about the moment, saying he wanted to take it all in with Loreal.

"I finally got into my office with my wife, and it was like, I kind of want to take this in too, you know," Sarkisian said. "And it's been about an hour now since the game ended. So we just walked outside, and DKR is a special place, and I know it's a special place for a lot of people, but clearly for me and and for us, it's a special place."

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news. 

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations


Published | Modified
Zach Dimmitt
ZACH DIMMITT

Zach Dimmitt is the Deputy Editor for Texas Longhorns On SI and Texas A&M Aggies On SI. He also contributes as a writer for the On SI channels of the Oregon Ducks, Baltimore Ravens and Tennessee Titans. He was previously the editor-in-chief of Buffalo Bills on SI, Philadelphia Eagles on SI and Seattle Seahawks on SI. Born and raised in San Antonio, Texas, Dimmitt received his Bachelor’s Degree in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin in 2022. He originally started with SI’s Fan Nation network in 2021, providing extensive coverage of the NFL and NBA along with college football and basketball. In that time, Dimmitt has published thousands of stories and has reached millions of people across multiple fan bases. You can follow him on X at @ZachDimmitt7

Share on XFollow ZachDimmitt7