Steve Sarkisian wants to make sure in Year 2 at USC the Trojans’ state-of-the-art facilities do not soften the attitude of his team.

“The challenge is — and it’s something I had to address this offseason — are we doing enough to develop them, or are we just coddling them?” Sarkisian said in an interview with SiriusXM’s College Sports Nation. “You have to distinguish between the two. If they’re showing up every day, somebody’s making a shake for them, you go over here and somebody’s handing them this, what are they doing for themselves to develop themselves to get ready?

“Because the real world is tough. We have to make sure our guys are prepared for that. We’ve changed some things, shifted some things.”

A tougher mental outlook might also prevent the Trojans from losing games late in the fourth quarter or giving up points just before halftime like last season. Sarkisian recalled that during the Pete Carroll era USC’s facilities used to be considered among the worst in the nation.

“We had the worst,” he said. “There was something to be said about the toughness that developed and that you learned how to persevere and fight through. You didn’t care if your field was half-dirt. You didn’t care if the locker room was leaking.

“You didn’t care that your locker wasn’t 10 feet wide with steel doors and a cooling system. You just loved football.”

2015 College Football Preview

• What to know about 2015 college football season

• A look at the road to College Football Championship

• Pre-season Top 25: Breakdown of top contenders

• Games to watch: Preview of each week’s best game

• Could Adoree Jackson wins the Heisman and an Olympic gold medal?

• What does Josh Rosen need to do to succeed as freshman QBs?

• USC vs. UCLA Predictions: Who will win the rivalry game?