Jalen Hurts: Alabama changing offensive coordinators is ‘weird’

But after Kiffin was named the head coach at Florida Atlantic, he started making unflattering remarks about Saban’s program. It’s also that Saban hasn’t been excoriated for the extraordinary timing of such a personnel change. “You’re not going to change what got you here”.

The job became available this past Monday when Saban chose to part ways with Lane Kiffin, Alabama’s OC for the past three years.

Another Crimson Tide championship may rest on the freshman’s shoulders. He also mentioned how he was familiar with Kiffin’s thinking, as he and Kiffin worked together as assistants on Pete Carroll’s staff at USC. Sarkisian – already designated as the Tide’s next offensive coordinator – took over immediately.

He mostly said questions about his battle were “for another time”, but did touch on what he’d learned about himself during that time.

“It’s a process”, Sarkisian said. “I love being around these players, these coaches”, Sarkisian said.

There is so much to consider. Of tangible note for the National Championship Game, Sarkisian indicated that he would be on the Alabama sideline to call plays, rather than up in the press box. Now, every player would have to make the decision between, is that more important relative to protecting yourself?

Monday night, he must make decisions. “He entrusted in me the faith in me to go do it”, Sarkisian said. “I don’t know if there’s much more to say about it than that”. “Nothing changes. Somebody telling me what to do, that’s the only thing that’s changed”. There are going to be some moments. “And I liked him in the week that he spent with us. But how we respond to those glitches is going to be key”. One week before the Crimson Tide faced Clemson in a national championship rematch, Sarkisian was thrust back into the spotlight.

That has Alabama head coach Nick Saban confident his new offensive coordinator can handle the responsibility ahead. Does he call a more conservative game after Hurts passed for only 57 yards against the Huskies?

“It is frustrating as an analyst when you go out to practice and you’re not coaching”, Sarkisian said. “It wouldn’t do right”. “I expect more out of myself than anyone else will”. Not after he entered the Division I-A head coaching ranks at 34 and exited at 41. “I appreciate you asking, yeah”. “The reality of it is, I’m at this point today and I’m at this point today with a tremendous opportunity”.

Either way, the coach known far and wide as “Sark” is back.

“I think the biggest thing I discovered in me is I’m a good person – not ideal, none of us are”, Sarkisian said Saturday during the College Football Playoff media day at Amalie Arena. And they posted that number while playing a hard schedule, their average opponent has a 20.50 rating in the model used here to assign every FBS team a rating and project the outcome of every FBS game this season.

Alabama’s players got word of the change Monday.

“But at the end of the day as a player, you have to execute what’s called. Whatever they have in store for me, I am down for”. “He’s a kid who loves football”. Sark’s the same way. If anything, he said he felt uncomfortable in his role as an analyst because he couldn’t speak directly to players during games or practices. These guys have earned the right to be in this game.

In part, that because Sarkisian had credibility that he accrued during head coaching stints at Washington and USC before several alcohol-related incidents derailed his career.

“A weakness, yeah. I don’t see one”, Venables said.

On the field, Sarkisian walks from drill to drill with alacrity. Jalen Hurts enrolled early at Alabama last December. I’ve been doing this a long time, I’ve been fortunate to have coached in some big games in my career.

Alabama has the nation’s longest winning streak at 26 games. “I’ve been doing this a long time”. “He’s got a lot of experience”. “I’d never bet against him”. “He knows the offense”. “How well does he know what they’re good at?” He’d gone through a bitter divorce the year before, and his life was a wreck. “It’s going to translate to the real world, so it’s going to help me out a lot”. You know, he can move on. ‘Boy, if I did this, this is something I would (do).’. He learned from Saban. Time for him to match wits with Saban and get the better of him this time. Saban said he and Kiffin came to an agreement a split made sense, even an unprecedented one so close to the national championship.

Especially after being rescued at Saban’s halfway house for wayward coaches. “He’ll do things aggressively”. I think it’s a good (relationship). He told a story Saturday about his playing days at BYU.

“I wouldn’t go with “nervous” – I’m excited”.