Texas is getting ready for a huge Red River showdown with Oklahoma, but before Steve Sarkisian heads into that rivalry week pressure cooker, his wife Loreal Sarkisian is set to be in Tuscaloosa for a very different kind of spotlight.
Steve Sarkisian said during Wednesday’s SEC Media Teleconference that Loreal will attend Thursday night’s premiere of the Nick Saban ESPN documentary. Steve, who is busy locking in for the game in Dallas, won’t be there himself, but he made it clear the event carries real meaning for their family.
"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 relationship goes back to Sarkisian’s time at Alabama, where he and Loreal got married in 2020 during his second stint with the Crimson Tide under Saban. The couple built their life in Tuscaloosa before eventually moving to Austin, and Sarkisian made it clear the connection to Nick Saban and Miss Terry still runs deep.
"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."
The documentary premiere comes after another memorable moment for Steve and Loreal in Austin. Following Texas’ comeback win over Ohio State last month, the two were captured in a candid scene at the railing above the south endzone tunnel at DKR after the stadium had emptied out.
Steve said he wanted to stop and take it all in with his wife.
"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."
Meanwhile, Steve’s attention is on Oklahoma, where he’ll coach against the Sooners for the sixth time. He’s 3-2 in the Red River Rivalry and will try to add another win as Texas looks to stay unbeaten and keep hold of the No. 1 spot in college football.
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