Picture this: a college football team in need of a makeover. The players aren't quite meeting the expectations of the new coach, so they're given a gentle nudge towards the transfer portal, making space for potential upgrades. It's like a game of roster Tetris, but with real-life consequences. Welcome to the wild world of college football.
But not every coach feels the need for a complete overhaul. Some understand that talent is not the only ingredient for success. Washington coach Kalen DeBoer and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian found themselves inheriting teams with potential, but what they really needed was for the players to buy into a new vision.
DeBoer, taking the reins at Washington, saw the foundation of a good football team already in place. He recognized that his job wasn't just about bringing in a wave of new recruits, but rather carefully assessing the existing talent and ensuring they were on board with the new direction.
'We wanted to be really careful with that because we felt like there was a base within the program of good football players, great people,' DeBoer said. And he was right. Thirty out of the 44 players on the two-deep depth chart had been with the team before DeBoer arrived. That's a sign of potential waiting to be unlocked.
Similar circumstances awaited Sarkisian at Texas. It wasn't a lack of talent that plagued the team, but a cultural shift that was desperately needed. The coach understood that creating a strong bond among players and fostering a sense of trust and vulnerability was crucial.
'I just felt like culturally, we needed to get better. We needed to get more connected. We needed to get more vulnerable, we needed to get honest with one another,' Sarkisian explained. He wanted his team to play for each other, not just for personal gain.
Sarkisian didn't shy away from tapping into the power of the players who had already been part of the Texas program. Running backs Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson, both now NFL rookies, became instrumental in building the culture Sarkisian envisioned. These players could have easily chosen to go elsewhere, but they stayed and carried the torch for the team's transformation.
What's fascinating is the way both coaches approached their respective situations. They understood that change wouldn't happen overnight and that it required the players to truly buy into the new philosophies. It wasn't just about tactics and strategies on the field; it was about building trust, fostering genuine connections, and creating an atmosphere where players felt valued.
DeBoer and Sarkisian weren't interested in tearing everything down and starting from scratch. They recognized that the foundation was already there; it just needed some polishing and reimagining. And by focusing on developing the existing talent, they proved that sometimes, the best upgrades come from within.
It wasn't an easy journey for the players. They had to unlearn old habits and adjust to new ways of doing things. But their coaches were there every step of the way, demonstrating their commitment and caring about their players as individuals.
The process wasn't just about football, either. Sarkisian's Culture Wednesdays gave players a chance to connect with each other off the field, fostering trust and camaraderie that would translate to their performance on the field. It was a reminder that success doesn't solely depend on X's and O's, but on the intangibles that bring a team together.
So here we are, with Washington and Texas facing off in the Sugar Bowl. Two teams that chose to reimagine instead of rebuilding, finding success by nurturing what was already there. It's a reminder that sometimes, the key to victory lies not in shiny new recruits, but in the belief and commitment of the players who have been with you all along.
In the wild world of college football, where transfers and roster changes are common, it's refreshing to see coaches who choose a different path. And maybe, just maybe, their approach will inspire others to stop and consider the power of cultivating what they already have.
