Hugs were plentiful for Steve Sarkisian on Saturday night.

His wife, Vince Young and pretty much anyone in burnt orange felt the embrace under the Bryant-Denny Stadium scoreboard.

Texas 34, Alabama 24, it read.

And no, the moment wasn’t lost on the once wayward coach who scored the biggest win of his career in the stadium that saved it. The third-year Longhorn coach didn’t mince words Saturday night when asked about Nick Saban’s impact on his life.

“I owe everything to him,” Sarkisian said. “I would not be standing here in front of you guys without Nick Saban. That’s very clear and I’ll never waiver on that.”

That’s true for a number of reasons he’d eventually explain.

Sarkisian first came to Alabama in 2016, a year after being fired midseason at USC as he struggled with alcohol abuse. Twice hired as Alabama’s offensive coordinator, his second stint was capped by the 2020 national title run.

That, however, came after the life-saving surgery the summer before that championship season. Sarkisian opened up this week in an interview with Yahoo Sports about the open-heart procedure that was the result of a preseason physical Saban requires all assistants to take.

A few weeks later, Sarkisian was back on the field for a season unlike any other.

It included winning the Iron Bowl as acting head coach as Saban sat home with COVID-19.

A few weeks after beating Auburn, he’d be hired by a proud Texas program lost in the woods for a decade. Everything since 2009 seemed to leave the Longhorns stuck in the mud so the rejuvenated Sarkisian was the call they made.

In the two-plus years since, Sarkisian’s teams have flashed moments but haven’t put it all together. They had Alabama on the ropes last year before Bryce Young led the Crimson Tide back to a 20-19 escape in Austin.

Not the case Saturday night as Texas saw Alabama take a third-quarter lead only to score 21 in the fourth to pull away.

It left Sarkisian in a reflective mode late Saturday night.

“This, the University of Alabama, Nick Saban, Tuscaloosa, changed my life,” Sarkisian said.. At a moment in my life when things weren’t going great, he extended me an olive branch. Everyone here supported me coming here and then bringing me back a second time to having that open heart surgery while I was here. So these people here mean a lot to me. I’m very grateful to everyone here in Tuscaloosa.

“So to come here and play the way we played, it’s humbling because life kinda goes full circle on that stuff. Not to get too emotional but it means a lot.”

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.