As it began its preparation for the 2026 football season, the Texas Longhorns received a pep talk from a basketball coach.
Last week, San Antonio Spurs coach Mitch Johnson was the guest speaker at a Longhorns team meeting. Texas held the first practice of its fall camp last Wednesday.
On Monday, UT coach Steve Sarkisian was asked about Johnson’s guest appearance. He shared that he has known Johnson, who’s a Seattle native, since Sarkisian was coaching at Washington in the early 2010’s. He didn’t divulge what Johnson told his football players, but said the Longhorns could benefit from a message from a coach of a talented team that suffered a heartbreaking loss this past season.
In just under two years as the leader of the Spurs after replacing legendary coach Gregg Popovich, Johnson has compiled a 94-65 record. The Spurs reached the NBA Finals this summer but were beaten in five games by the New York Knicks.
“I just think Mitch has done a tremendous job, and (it’s) not an easy job,” Sarkisian said. “We spoke about what his messaging is going to be to his team going into this NBA season, I thought was very similar to our season. Consistent messaging, I think, is important for our players. I don’t want a bunch of different messages. I want consistent messaging. I thought Mitch’s message to the team was fantastic.”
This isn’t the first time the Longhorns and Spurs have crossed paths. Last November, Texas quarterback Arch Manning and San Antonio star Victor Wembanyama exchanged jerseys for a photo that was widely shared on social media. The Spurs also have played two games on the UT campus during each of the past four seasons.