OTF on the Road: Steve Sarkisian's keynote address at the THSCA Convention

Sark on how Texas operates: “This is not a dictatorship. Everyone has a role.”

Sark: “Leadership to me means stepping into challenges and being vulnerable.”

On the first Culture Wednesday of every season, Sark gives his story to the players unfiltered. He said there’s a lot of tears and some tough days he has to relive, but he feels vulnerability is one of the things that makes him an effective leader.

Sark on leadership: “You’ve got to have authenticity and you’ve got to be transparent.”

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

Sark on leadership: “You’ve got to have authenticity and you’ve got to be transparent.”

Those tools help build trust, but Sark wants his coaches and players to feel love. He wants everybody in the building to feel valued.

”If I can create an atmosphere of love in our locker room,” he said, “how cool is that?”

Sark currently hammering home the importance of consistency in leadership.

This talk is giving me a pretty good picture on why Texas has been a team that can be described as coach-fed and player-led.

For Sark, consistency and discipline are critical to how the program operates.

Consistency in expectations on and off the field and discipline in daily routines.

Sark said he listened to what Arch Manning, Michael Taaffe and Anthony Hill said at SEC Media Days. He heard himself in each of them, which lets him know that his messaging and the program’s messaging from the top down is consistent.

Sark: “Don’t be upset with the result you didn’t get from the work you didn’t do.”

Sark on the importance of self-reflection and growth within the program: “Who you were last year won’t be good enough this year.”

Sark on the importance of responding positively to adversity: “We don’t succumb to what the surrounding temperature is supposed to be. We set our own temperate. We’re not thermometers. We’re thermostats. I think that’s why we’re so good on the road.”

A lot of what Sark believes in resilience and positive energy when dealing with adversity comes from studying Kobe Bryant. 

Sark: “We have totally created an environment that’s a want-to mentality, not a have-to.”

Everyone has heard Nick Saban talk for years about the process.

For Sark, it’s about falling in love “with the habits that bring you success.”

Sark talking right now about how much he loves football and college football.

”I love what I get to do every single day,” he said.

Just now, Jeff Howe said:

Sark talking right now about how much he loves football and college football.

”I love what I get to do every single day,” he said.

Part of that is being real. Sark said there have been days where he’s told the staff that he needs their help because he doesn’t have a full tank, so to speak.

Sark: “My job is to empower others. It’s really that simple… Empower them to go be great, go be special, go do things they want to do.”

“Capable of Anything, Entitled to Nothing!”

That’s one of the quotes that Sark said is a pillar of the Texas program under his watch.

Sark: “That’s a whole different form of adversity, is success.”

Sark is wrapping up by thanking the Texas high school coaches for what they do and letting them know that the doors on the Forty Acres are always open to them.

Sark wishes everyone the best of luck this season and thanks the THSCA for having him.

And that’s it for his keynote address, as coaches start to file out of the ballroom here at the convention center.