Life doesn’t always give you a warning sign. One moment, you’re planning a weekend tailgate, and the next moment, you’re staring into a nightmare no scoreboard can fix. Central Texas woke up to a catastrophe last week, as flash floods swept through Kerr County, claiming 81 lives and leaving 41 people missing. The Guadeloupe River rose 26 feet in about 45 minutes, leaving the entire town blindsided. Camp Mystic, a cherished Christian girls’ camp nestled by the water, bore the brunt of the storm. 68 lives were lost in Kerr County alone, 28 of them were children. Amid this tragedy, Steve Sarkisian and his wife Loreal stand firm in their support of the victims. 

For the families who kissed their daughters goodbye that morning, the silence was deafening. And amid the silence, Loreal Sarkisian has been leaning into faith like never before. On July 13, a week after the floods, she posted a grayscale photo of herself on her Instagram story that didn’t sugarcoat her grief. She wrote, “Lord, Jesus I THANK YOU for everything!!! The good, the bad, and everything in between! I love you! 🤍” For someone who’s usually all about fashion with a splash of sideline fire, this was something different, and it touched hearts. 

This isn’t the first time Loreal used her voice for the Texas flood tragedy. A week earlier, she had called on her followers to stay present, even when social media goes quiet. “Although you may not see everything on social media, please know that my family and I are doing everything we can behind the scenes to support,” she wrote. “Sending my deepest prayers and love to all those impacted.” And it’s not a one-off. Another story came with tears and urgency. 

“We’ve been dealing with SO much in America lately that has been hard to stomach so when I learned of this news it brought instant tears,” Loreal confessed. “My heart hurts! I’m so devastated. We need you real bad Lord! Prayer to all those affected.” Her posts have become more than words. They’re a lifeline for many in Longhorn Nation trying to make sense of it all. And Steve Sarkisian isn’t sitting on the sidelines either.

In partnership with the official Texas Football account, he shared a solemn graphic, “Praying for Central Texas. Our thoughts and prayers are with the communities and families of Central Texas affected by today’s devastating flooding.” It also got support from far and wide. 

Coaches, conferences, and community in mourning

The Big 12 Conference joined the chorus of support. “The Big 12 Conference extends its deepest condolences to all those impacted by the tragic flooding in Texas, including the heartbreaking events at Camp Mystic,” it wrote on X. “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the entire community during this difficult time.” And it’s not just a Texas thing. Ole Miss HC Lane Kiffin, who recently lost his mother, shared a gut-wrenching video of the flood-ravaged camp. “Please pray for search and rescue and for all of our friends and families who lost their babies this morning,” he wrote. “Here yesterday, unrecognizable today. 23 girls are still missing, and many people close to my heart are gone in an instant.” 

But nothing hits quite like what Trinity University OC Wade Lytal is facing. His daughter, Kellyanne, is no longer with us, as it was confirmed yesterday. “As for all prayers for a miracle for my baby girl, Kellyanne,” he posted, alongside a video of Kellyanne singing her Christmas solo while asking for help from people during her disappearance. “I’ll never forget when she told me she had a lead solo in the Christmas Pageant. She is absolutely fearless.”

When a storm hits like this, football fades. But the people behind the programs, Steve Sarkisian and Loreal, the Kiffins, the Lytals, they remind us why community and compassion matter so much more.