REPORT: Steve Sarkisian To Join Alabama Coaching Staff

A Fox Sports analyst is reporting that former Southern Cal and Washington head coach Steve Sarkisian is on the verge of joining the coaching staff at Alabama. The report says that he will work as a special offensive assistant.

Sarkisian, who was fired mid-season last year due to drinking issues, was set to work as a game analyst for Fox Sports starting next week.

If this report proves to be true, Sarkisian will be reunited with Lane Kiffin. The two worked together on Pete Carroll’s staff at Southern Cal for five seasons in the mid-2000s. They would eventually become opposing coaches from 2010 to 2013 while Sarkisian was at Washington. Sarkisian would go on to replace Kiffin at Southern Cal after the latter was let go.

As a quarterback at BYU, Steve Sarkisian learned under Norm Chow and the legendary LaVell Edwards. As a senior, he led the Cougars to an 11-1 record and a Cotton Bowl victory. After three seasons in the CFL, he became a QB coach at his hometown community college El Camino College. He then rejoined Chow at Southern Cal under Carroll.

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For now, this is just a report from one source. If it comes to fruition, could Nick Saban be grooming Sarkisian to take over the Offensive Coordinator job should Kiffin move on?