Sark Speaks On New Texas Staff: 'I’m Pumped'
The University of Texas officially unveiled its new football coaching staff on Friday afternoon, with head coach Steve Sarkisian giving his first public statements about the hires and the decision-making process.
“I’m pumped up about our coaching staff," Sarkisian said. "There’s a lot of work to be done, and now it’s time to roll up our sleeves and get to work.”
The staff, while still technically incomplete, was quickly assembled by Sarkisian following his departure from Alabama just two days after helping the team win a national title.
Texas still has just one position left to officially fill (linebackers coach), though as of Friday evening, that position is expected to be occupied by former Montana State head coach Jeff Choate.
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Sarkisian released a statement via the school on Friday detailing his coaching group, and what he was looking for in his candidates.
“I’m so excited with how this staff is coming together and thrilled to be officially announcing a tremendous group of coaches, teachers, and mentors that will be joining us at Texas,” Sarkisian said in the statement. “From a developmental and scheme standpoint, there’s a lot that goes into finding the right mix of coaches to put together to make your staff. We put a ton of thought into this, looked for the best fit in every position, are very happy with how it’s working out, and I really believe you can put this group of coaches up against any staff in the country.
"They all are highly-regarded, knowledgeable, proven coaches and teachers who can recruit with the best of them and will develop players and maximize their ability. All of them have had a lot of success, are outstanding mentors, coaches, and leaders of men, and it’s just a great group of guys.
"They’ll all bring their strengths, but at the end of the day, we will come together as one to work toward achieving our common goal of building an elite program and winning championships.”
New coaching staffs are always refreshing for a fan base, but more importantly, they represent a fresh start for the program itself. A program that has struggled to find its footing over the last decade, in both the on-field coaching and the recruiting departments.
Under Sarkisian, both of those traits were of particular emphasis. Especially in the recruiting department, where things were beginning to degrade under the previous coaching regime.
“Player development, X’s and O’s, and ability to recruit were our priorities with this staff. When you look at their backgrounds, there’s experience and expertise from an NFL standpoint, coaching at a very high level in the college ranks, and it’s an outstanding collection of proven and successful recruiters, as well,” Sarkisian said. “For every coach we hired, I looked closely at their ability to recruit and evaluate prospects, and this group can do that with the best of them. They all have a great recruiting background and many of them with significant ties to recruiting in the state of Texas.”
More than anything else, recruiting is the king of college football. It is what separates the powerhouse programs from the flavors of the month. And for Texas, the first step to winning in that department is winning its home state, a state that is arguably the most fertile and poached recruiting grounds in the nation.
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“It was critical to hire enough coaches with ties to the state of Texas, and extensive backgrounds recruiting our great state,” Sarkisian said. “The Texas high school coaches are exceptional, and our relationships with them are critical, essential, and priority number one. We will recruit nationally, but we know we have to take care of Texas first and this is a staff that will do that extremely well.”
While recruiting is indeed king, it is equally as critical for college football programs to have success in developing those recruits once they arrive on campus. After all, a building without a solid foundation to support it will crumble.
With this new staff, Sarkisian is just as excited about their ability to coach and develop the team's recruits, as he is in their abilities to get those players to the 40 Acres.
“Coaching is big, and they all have excellent track records in training players and developing fundamentals and techniques, but it’s a group that will do a phenomenal job building relationships and developing players, which will be a huge priority for us,” Sarkisian said. “Camaraderie was a key, as well. I think a staff that works well together works well with its players, and this group will definitely do that. This is a staff that will build tremendous relationships, cares deeply about the student-athletes, and will put our young men in a position to be successful on the football field, in the classroom, and in all aspects of their lives."
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With the hirings are now complete, there is still a lot to be done for Sarkisian and his staff. From National Signing Day on February 3 to installing their new systems on both sides of the ball, to spring football, and then to the 2022 recruiting cycle, it is going to be a long and exhausting road.
However, that road seems a little bit less arduous, and a little bit more exciting for Sarkisian, thanks to the talented group of coaches he has now surrounded himself with.
You can view the fully up-to-date staff below:
Assistant head coach/tight ends/special teams - Jeff Banks
Offensive coordinator/Offensive Line - Kyle Flood
Quarterbacks - A.J. Milwee
Offensive run game coordinator/running backs coach - Stan Drayton
Wide receivers - Andre Coleman
Defensive coordinator and outside linebackers coach - Pete Kwiatkowski
Defensive passing game coordinator and secondary coach - Terry Joseph
Defensive line - Bo Davis
Linebackers - Jeff Choate
Safeties - Blake Gideon
Director of Football performance - Torre Becton