A look at the questions surrounding Steve Sarkisian this week
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Before taking questions from reporters during his virtual press conference Wednesday, Steve Sarkisian addressed the elephant in the room — or is it a Longhorn?
Sarkisian accepted the position as the next head coach at Texas over the weekend but will still serve as Alabama’s offensive coordinator during next week’s national championship game. The possible distraction has been the worry of Crimson Tide fans this week. However, it appears Sarkisian is very much dialed in on the task at hand.
“Clearly I'm excited about the opportunity at Texas,” Sarkisian said. “It's a tremendous one for me. Looking forward to getting started there. But like the commitment I made to Coach Saban two years ago is the same commitment I've made to these players, and that's focusing on this game, giving this game the attention that it deserves so our players have an opportunity to go out and play to the best of their abilities. And that's what we've always preached here is to put our players in the best position to be successful on the field and off the field, and this week has been no different.”
Here’s a look at some questions surrounding Sarkisian leading up to Monday’s national championship game.
How will he be spending his time?
Settling into a head coaching job takes time. Sarkisian will not only have to set up his coaching staff at Texas but will also look to reach out to recruits in an attempt to maintain his current recruiting class while also building for the future. According to the newly-named head coach, all of that currently takes a back seat to his duties at Alabama.
“My focus is on the game,” Sarkisian said. “I'm prepping for the ballgame. Any of the spare time that I do have, that's getting my attention for the job at Texas, whether that's staffing or recruiting, things of that nature. But I would say my week has been as normal as it could be, and has been, of game planning and prepping for the ballgame.”
Alabama has gone through similar transitions with coordinators in recent years, experiencing mixed results. During a virtual press conference Monday, Nick Saban said how the situation is handled is “up to each individual” but expressed confidence that Sarkisian’s focus was on his players heading into the national championship game.
How do Alabama players feel about him?
Saban isn’t the only one who appears to be on good terms with Sarkisian. Alabama players have also expressed their congratulations and well wishes to their current offensive coordinator this week.
“Everyone is happy for Coach Sark,” receiver DeVonta Smith said. “That's part of the business. But he's going to be here with us throughout this last game, and we're trying to finish things the right way.”
