When Nick Saban retired from his post as Alabama head coach, there weren't too many candidates that were seen as qualified to replace him.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian, however, was qualified. His connections to Alabama? He was Saban's offensive coordinator and protégé before he landed in Austin. His ability to create a winning program? Seen with the way he led Texas to the College Football Playoff.

In the end though, he insists he was never really an option. Why?

"We are just on the cusp of doing some really special things here at the University of Texas," Sarkisian said on the All Facts No Breaks podcast. "Growing up in LA, I like a little city in my life...I don't mind that the I-35 runs just east of campus right here. I love that there's plenty of places downtown to go eat, I love that we have a city of over a million people now in Austin."

Saban once told Sarkisian that he'd be the one to take over once he walked away. In fact, Sarkisian said once that he refused to take a job because of that.

Nevertheless, when Texas came calling, there was no way he could say no, and Saban agreed. And when Alabama came back, there was no way he could say yes. Not after what he's done already on the 40-acres, leading Texas to its best record since 2009 and the four-team College Football playoff for the first time in its history.

With quarterback Quinn Ewers returning for 2024, the Longhorns coach will have even more time to build on the legacy that so far has earned him a very lucrative extension.

"We're really the pro football team in this town...that's nothing to take away from being in Tuscaloosa," Sarkisian said. "There's a really unique niche here at Austin that we're really trying to capitalize on and trying to do something like I said pretty special."

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Why did Steve Sarkisian stay at Texas instead of leaving for Alabama?