Texas
Texas' Steve Sarkisian 'very impressed' by Dawn Staley amid push to get Longhorns over the hump
Former WNBA great and current South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley secured the program’s third national championship this past Sunday.
Staley has coached the women’s basketball team to an impressive 109-3 record over the past three seasons, winning two titles over that span. The Gamecocks reached the Final Four last season, where they were eliminated by Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Sunday’s highly-anticipated matchup between South Carolina and Iowa attracted record viewership. Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian was among the millions of viewers who watched Staley coach the Gamecocks to victory.
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Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns looks on during the second quarter against the Washington Huskies during the CFP Semifinal Allstate Sugar Bowl at Caesars Superdome on January 01, 2024 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
South Carolina is a longstanding member of the Southeastern Conference, the same conference the Longhorns are set to join next season. Sarkisian appears to be drawing inspiration from Staley’s successful run in the SEC and beyond.
“I watched both games. I watched both tournaments, quite frankly,” Sarkisian said, via On3.com. “And I think what coach [Dawn] Staley has done has been obviously very impressive in that she’s assembled talent year after year, but she’s got her culture for sure, and it’s in place. She instills it in them.”
“She had a whole new team this year, and they went out and won every game. And last year they lose in the semis, they couldn’t get it done,” Sarkisian continued. “So very impressed with what she’s been able to do.”
SOUTH CAROLINA’S DAWN STALEY PRAISES CAITLIN CLARK FOR ‘LIFTING UP OUR SPORT,’ CALLS HER’‘ONE OF THE GOATS’
Sarkisian said he is “striving” to reach a level of success that is similar to what Staley has achieved in Columbia, South Carolina.
Dawn Staley of the South Carolina Gamecocks celebrates as the confetti falls after beating Iowa Hawkeyes in the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 07, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Sarkisian coached Texas to an 11-1 regular season record, a Big 12 Conference title, and a berth in the College Football Playoffs semifinals. But, Texas ultimately came up short, losing to the Washington Huskies.
“We’re always all striving for that and looking at those great teams that do it at a high, high level,” Sarkisian added. “I’ve been fortunate to be part of some great teams in that era with Pete Carroll, so it’s not a one-time thing. You’ve got to continually work on the things that are important to you to recreate it year after year after year.”
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian watches the run of play during the Allstate Sugar Bowl playoff game between the Texas Longhorns and the Washington Huskies on Monday, January 1, 2024 at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, LA.
Sarkisian was also complementary of UConn coach Dan Hurley, who secured a second consecutive national title on the men’s side on Monday night.
“And very impressed with what coach Hurley has been able to do. I think he lost three or four NBA players off last year’s team.”
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Sarkisian credited both Staley and Hurley for their respective abilities to “coach hard.”
“But one thing that is very clear in both of them. I’d say two things,” Sarkisian said. “The first is they coach hard. There’s not for a second, you watch their interaction with their players, where they’re not coaching them hard. And they’re demanding of their players. But you can also feel the love coming from them with their players.”
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(KBTX) – Twelve times this season, a Texas A&M athletic program raised a Texas-shaped trophy after knocking off the Texas Longhorns.
It was more than enough for the Aggies to claim the Lone Star Showdown title for the 2025-26 season.
A&M downed the Longhorns 11.5-7.5 in the season-long contest between the athletic departments, claiming the title for the first time since it was renewed in 2024.
On Saturday, the men’s and women’s track and field teams recorded higher team finishes at the SEC Championship, ensuring the Aggies’ win. The men’s squad finished fourth, ahead of Texas’ seventh-place finish. The women finished tied for sixth, three spots ahead of the Longhorns.
Every single matchup between the programs is worth one point. For men’s and women’s basketball, which play Texas twice during the regular season, each game is worth a half point. A series win in baseball is worth a point.
A&M soccer, volleyball, men’s and women’s cross country, women’s tennis, men’s and women’s indoor track and baseball all claimed wins over Texas. A&M men’s basketball earned a half point this season.
Texas claimed last year’s title 12.5-5.5.
The rivalry debuted in 2004 and ran through 2012 when A&M left the Big 12 for the SEC. It was renewed due to Texas’ entrance into the SEC. The Longhorns have claimed seven titles in that span to A&M’s three.
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What a win, and what a series for No. 10 Texas A&M (39-13, 18-11 SEC) on Saturday afternoon, as the Aggies clinched their final home series vs. Mississippi State, a 7-6 victory behind an impressive rally, scoring four runs in the final two frames after the Bulldogs took back the lead late in the game.
After using up nearly every pitching option over the first two games, second-year coach Michael Earley had to rely on Clemson transfer Ethan Darden, who started Game 1 but threw only 30-plus pitches. While this decision was questionable, Darden lasted three innings and allowed just one run, prompting Gavin Lyons to make his second appearance in the series.
However, Lyons allowed three runs, leading to Cooper Powell’s likely game-saving scoreless innings, including three strikeouts, while reliable closer Clayton Freshcorn, who earned his 12th save on Friday night, provided Aggie fans another shaky, but exciting end to one of the more important series of the season.
After allowing freshman Jacob Parker to hit a 2-run home run in the top of the 8th to take a 6-5 lead, Freshcorn locked in, especially after senior Bear Harrision’s double scored Caden Sorrell and Chris Hacopian to re-take the lead. Ending the game with two strikeouts and a pop-up, Texas A&M has secured a double-bye in the SEC Tournament and finished no lower than third in the SEC standings.
If Texas loses to Missouri in Game 3, Texas A&M will earn the No. 2 seed. If the Longhorns win, the Aggies will be the 3-seed heading into the SEC Tournament next week.
Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Cameron on X: @CameronOhnysty.
The winning numbers in Friday evening’s drawing of the “Texas All or Nothing Night” game were:
4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24
(four, seven, eight, ten, eleven, fifteen, eightteen, nineteen, twenty-one, twenty-two, twenty-three, twenty-four)
For more lottery results, go to Jackpot.com | Order Lottery Tickets
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