Steve Sarkisian Describes Inspiration for Texas Longhorns 'Culture Wednesdays'

Only one month stands between the Texas Longhorns and the first matchup of their 2025 campaign, which will take place in Columbus, Ohio, against the Ohio State Buckeyes.

After reaching the College Football Playoff semifinals for two consecutive years, expectations for this team remain high with quarterback Arch Manning taking the reins and making his debut as the team’s starter. 

However, despite how much the anticipation seems to be intensifying, it appears that head coach Steve Sarkisian has continued to find ways to prioritize culture. 

Culture Wednesdays

Sarkisian recently spoke with ESPN's Rece Davis about a tradition he has started within Texas’ football program, but he first addressed the fact that his new idea was inspired by what he learned from coaching under both former USC Trojans head coach Pete Carroll and Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.

“I’ve studied these guys at length, trying to figure out why they’re successful,” Sarkisian told Davis. “They’re totally different. It took them a minute to get really successful, but they figured it out, kind of in their 50s. Here I am right now at 51. The thing that resonated with me was that they figured out who they were. And then they stayed consistent with who they were in all of their messaging and what they wanted and how they wanted their programs run.”

Sarkisian served as the quarterbacks coach and then the associate head coach and offensive coordinator under Carroll with the Trojans, and he went on to earn the head coaching job there ahead of the 2014 season. A few years after leaving USC in 2015, Sarkisian took on the roles of offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for Saban at Alabama.

As he mentioned in the quote above, Sarkisian recognized that each of the two coaches knew who they were with clarity, which encouraged him to ask himself a question. 

“Well, who am I? I’m a people person,” he said. “I love building relationships. Well, the best relationships are formed off being authentic, being vulnerable, being real. Actually, exuding love for somebody. That’s why we’ve tried to create and that’s what we create in Culture Wednesdays.”

Culture Wednesdays are designed to help teammates grow closer with one another and understand each other beyond football. Sarkisian starts with opening remarks and a prompt, but the players then split into position groups and address the topic they have been given.

“We pick a topic every Wednesday,” Sarkisian said. “Has nothing to do with football whatsoever. Now, there are components that tie back into football, and I’ll always share on that topic from my perspective first. Then, I break these guys up, in and around the building, in 10 different subgroups with an assistant coach, and they touch on the topic.” 

As preparation for the 2025 season picks up, this Wednesday ritual could prove to help center players and allow them the chance to slow down briefly.