I got to school in 1990 towards the end of David McWilliams. I believe, after his firing, that Texas wanted to break the "does he know Daryl Royal" line, so they hired Mackovic. He was a good coach, but a bad Texan. Of course, they then accidentally hired Mack Brown when they meant to hire Gary Barnett.
We got an AD who knew how to cut costs on paper towels in the restroom, so he tried the same thing with one of the highest profile jobs in collegiate sports. I believe Charlie Strong was learning, and would have grown into the role with proper support, but that wasn't to be. Herman checked all the boxes. He was a Texas fan, was up close at a really big program, and had won as a head coach.
Turns out he learned from Meyer how to be a crusty jerk, because Meyer's a crusty jerk. When you're a natural jerk, people respect that and listen. When you're pretending to be a jerk, well, you're just a jerk. People think you're a jerk.
Sark remains to be seen. He checks a lot of boxes. He's seen the big time up close. He's learned from the best. Perhaps most importantly, he's already been taught what happens if you start believing your own glory. He knows there are limits, and the limits break you if you don't delegate and trust. He's got a dream team of the best in the business around him.
Now, he's just gotta go undefeated every year.