Report: Steve Sarkisian to join Alabama's coaching staff
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Alabama might be adding a familiar face to its coaching staff. According to a report from ESPN, the Crimson Tide is on the verge of hiring Steve Sarkisian. While the report didn’t specify what position Sarkisian would hold at Alabama, it did state he turned down the offensive coordinator position with the Arizona Cardinals. Sarkisian served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator during the 2017 national championship game where the Crimson Tide lost 35-31 to Clemson.
Sarkisian was recently fired by the Atlanta Falcons after spending the past two seasons as offensive coordinator. He served as an offensive analyst at Alabama in 2017 before being promoted to offensive coordinator for one game after Lane Kiffin left to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic. Before that, he served as the head coach at Southern California (2014-15) and Washington (2009-13). Sarkisian also has offensive coordinator experience at Southern California (2007-08) and also spent time as the Trojans’ quarterbacks coach (2005-06 and 2001-03) as well as holding the same title for the Oakland Raiders (2004).
“He has a great track record and has done a really, really good job wherever he's been, whether it was as the coordinator at Southern Cal or as the quarterbacks coach,” Alabama head coach Nick Saban said upon appointing Sarkisian offensive coordinator in 2016. “He has a history of developing quarterbacks as well as being a very good play-caller and a well-organized, good designer of offense.”
Sarkisian would likely fill the opening at offensive coordinator left behind by Mike Locksley, who took the head coaching job at Maryland last month. Alabama also has an opening at quarterbacks coach after Dan Enos left earlier this week to become the offensive coordinator at Miami.