I don't know if I buy this if only because the timeline doesn't match up. Look at the 3 coaches post-DKR. Akers, McWilliams and Mackovic. The moment the program slid beyond their capability, they were fired. We fired Fred Akers after his first losing season, we fired McWilliams the season after the "Shock the World" tour and we fired Mackovic the season after "Roll Left." Does that should like a lethargic/complacent athletic department that didn't care or one that just couldn't get it right?
I think the explanation is that we simply hired 3 bad coaches in a row and Jackie Sherrill made us pay for it. We've been dog shit since 2010, doesn't mean that we don't care, but the Mack Brown era ended with a thud, Charlie was a glorified DC and TH was more asshole than Mensa. If you hire the right coaches, you will get the right results. If you don't, it makes it very hard, even at a place like Texas.
The jury is out on Sark, but he should be given every opportunity to succeed/fail and if he does fail, then we just throw him the gutter and go find another.