He will be a head coach again at some point, but Alabama fans are more so proud of Steve Sarkisian’s personal and professional growth as an assistant.
During his Zoom call on Tuesday, he commanded the room with a strong voice, insightful answers and a genuine gratitude for Nick Saban.
After signing a three-year extension worth $2.5 million annually and having open heart surgery, the California native is more than inspired to return to work. He is regarded as one of the best offensive coordinators in college football and despite personal trials in his career, Sarkisian is finally in a place of peace and he owes it to the University of Alabama.
He came back to Alabama in 2019, following two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, and coached the offense to 47.2 points per game — the most of the Saban era. He had other job offers ringing his phone, including the University of Colorado, but Sarkisian does not want to leave Tuscaloosa (Ala.) right now.
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“It’s always flattering when people express interest in you and I had a couple of schools that wanted an interview, but at the end of the day this is a special place,” Sarkisian said of UA. “I came here for stability in my career.”
He spent the earlier part of his assistant coaching career at the University of Southern California, until head coaching opportunities at Washington (2009-13) and USC (2014-15) came calling.
Whether it was the pressures of being a young head coach or jumping into the head coaching ranks too soon, Sarkisian encountered quite a few obstacles on his journey.
When no one else wanted him in 2016, Coach Saban extended his hand.
Saban has helped so many coaches find stability in their lives, but Sarkisian left for the National Football League after one year of being an offensive analyst. He was called upon to be the Tide’s play caller in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game versus Clemson: a game of which the Tigers won, 35-31.
In returning to the Tide, he feels like Alabama is the place he needs to be right now.
“Coach Saban has been too good to me,” Sarkisian said. “Alabama has been good to me. I love these players, the administration has been tremendous, and we have a lot left to accomplish.”
Sarkisian values Saban as a mentor and he’s having fun guiding a lot of talented players.
“For me, Alabama was the right thing at the right time,” Sarkisian said. “I learn so much here every day, and we have an opportunity to be pretty good this season and for years to come.”
One conversation fans like to have is who will take over the Tide when Saban retires?
Although thoughts of Dabo Swinney, Jeremy Pruitt, Lane Kiffin and Mario Cristobal have been entertained, Sarkisian’s words may have put him into the mix too. He has done a lot of growing and in paying homage to Saban, maybe he becomes the coach in waiting. For now, Sarkisian is focused on assisting the program to a College Football Playoff national title.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
