After tying the knot in 2020, when he was Alabama’s offensive coordinator, Steve Sarkisian and his wife, Loreal, shifted their base to Austin in 2021. As Sarkisian took over the Longhorns, the designer continued taking over the fashion industry. Together, they built a life in the Lone Star State. But in July this year, things (figuratively) fell apart.

“After many heartfelt conversations, we have decided to amicably part ways and jointly file for divorce. We aim to remain the best of friends and are incredibly grateful for the love and support we have shared throughout our journey together,” they wrote in a joint statement, adding, “Our commitments to our respective careers made it difficult to prioritize time for each other and this step will provide us with the necessary time and space professionally while continuing to support each other personally.”

Well, they sure are staying true to their word about supporting each other. But Loreal and Steve Sarkisian have recently used cryptic movements in various online activities to make their relationship more difficult to read, one of which came after the Texas Longhorns’ victory over Kentucky (31-14). The win took them to the top of the SEC with a remarkable 10-1 record, and Steve Sarkisian couldn’t help but acknowledge the atmosphere at the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.

He gave a special shout-out to the defense, who limited Kentucky to just 21 yards. But it was a great day for the offense, too, as Texas put up a season-high 250 rushing yards. While Steve Sarkisian acknowledged the game, he started his presser by saying, “First of all, tremendous atmosphere today. Longhorn Nation was amazing again.” Well, one of the members of Longhorn Nation was Loreal Sarkisian, who showed up dressed to impress!

Sticking to her game-day tradition as she always does, Loreal posted her outfit before heading to the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. It was a stunning all-white combination featuring a chiffon Louis Vuitton skirt. “Chiffon skirts on game day? Absolutely. 🏈✨ Flowy, chic, and perfect for cheering in style,” she captioned the post. As appreciative as everyone was of her outfit (and the post), it was her Instagram update after the game that caught everyone’s attention.

Loreal posted a picture on November 25 of herself at the game with the message, “Slowing down today to simply be. Grateful for where I am, who I’m becoming, and the One who guides me.✨” After this update, Steve appeared to be one of the supporting characters. Don’t believe it? Check out the head coach’s comment.

“🔥🔥“ was Sarkisian’s response to his ex-wife’s post. It merely shows that the coach agrees with what Loreal said. But wait, there’s more! What stood out was the sparkling diamond on Loreal’s left ring finger – her wedding ring – giving the impression that she was expressing her thanks for Steve’s presence in her life. Notably, in the days preceding the announcement of their divorce, Steve Sarkisian stopped wearing his wedding ring. As reported by chron.com, the 50-year-old hadn’t worn his ring in public since July 18… until now.

Sarkisian started wearing it in public again during his weekly media appearances before the Longhorns played against the Gators on November 9. That said, as mentioned earlier, the two have continued showing their support for each other despite the announcement of their divorce. Whether it be attending the Longhorns’ games and being a “coach” to Steve (as she was when Texas took on the Gators) or the Texas head coach just showing his appreciation for Loreal every chance he gets – they’ve been there for each other. 

And as it so happens, this wasn’t the first time in the last few weeks that Steve Sarkisian commented on his ex-wife’s Instagram updates!

Steve Sarkisian’s thoughts on Loreal’s Arkansas game-day look

Steve Sarkisian has another incentive to draw attention, even if the CFB season is at its peak and the top SEC teams are vying for each other’s attention by kicking each other off the narrow playoff road. Following his intermittent updates on his romantic life, Sarkisian was noticed in the comments section of his ex-wife’s Instagram post.

Before the Arkansas victory, the queen was back to her fashionista mode, flaunting her gameday attire. She publicly supported the squad on Instagram by showing off her black leather jacket. And guess what? Steve Sarkisian added several fire emojis (“🔥🔥”) in return. On July 26, the pair announced on their own Instagram stories that they had decided to file for divorce. They clarified that the decision was mutual and that they would continue to be best friends even if the marriage didn’t work out in order to prevent unwanted drama. Well, it looks like they are the best of friends!

In fact, as Loreal Sarkisian attended the November 9 against Florida, where Texas thumped the Gators 49-17, the ‘First Lady of Longhorns Football’ even channeled the inner actor in her, emulating Sandra Bullock’s character from the 2009 movie Blind Side. Captioning the reel, “Behind every Great Coach is another Coach 🤘🏽,” the video showed her yelling from her suite.

“Enough with the trick plays, Sark, and run the dang ball! Run it!” And that’s what Steve and the Longhorns did.  And that’s what they’ve been doing since. The game against Kentucky this past weekend was their fourth win in a row. Now that they’ve assumed the top spot in the SEC, Steve Sarkisian & Co. will look to keep this performance going and close out their regular season on a high.