Steve Sarkisian should have been smiling all night long watching Super Bowl LIX. He coached the two best receivers on the field.

The Texas coach had to enjoy Kansas City Chiefs rookie Xavier Worthy finally getting loose in the second half for a sensational performance, albeit in a loss.

Worthy finished with eight catches for 157 yards and two touchdowns, including a stunning 50-yard touchdown catch that put him into the UT history books. Worthy became the first former Longhorns player to score a touchdown in the Super Bowl.

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Worthy played for Sarkisian at Texas from 2021-23 and was one of the top offensive threats in the Big 12. Worthy chose to leave early for the NFL, just before the Horns jumped into the SEC.

On the other sideline, Philadelphia Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith had four catches for a team-high 69 yards and one touchdown. Smith played for the Alabama Crimson Tide from 2017-2020 and helped the Tide win the 2020 national championship.

Alabama’s offensive coordinator for that crown? Sarkisian. He was the team’s offensive coordinator and play-caller in 2019 and 2020 before coming to Austin.

Smith also made Alabama history like Worthy. Smith became the first Alabama player drafted to score a touchdown with his 46-yard score in Super Bowl LIX.

Sarkisian has plenty of major talking points with recruits, like his quarterback development and offensive creativity. But having two former players shine on the game’s biggest stage sure doesn’t hurt.