Texas' Steve Sarkisian 'very impressed' by Dawn Staley amid push to get Longhorns over the hump

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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