Saban: Ex-USC coach Steve Sarkisian joins staff as analyst

Alabama has hired former UCS head football coach Steve Sarkasian as an offensive analyst, CBSsports.com reported Monday.

The No. 1-ranked Crimson Tide now has two former USC coaches in the fold.

Sarkisian was let go from USC last fall after problems with alcohol.

“I told him we’d love to have him as part of the organization”, Coach Nick Saban said at a weekly news conference.

Sarkisian, 42, filed a multi-million dollar wrongful termination lawsuit against the university in December, alleging he was not allowed to seek treatment for alcoholism. “We’re glad to have him as part of the organization, and hopefully he’ll be able to get back on his feet professionally and this will be beneficial to him”. “So we thought it would be a good thing for our organization to have somebody – look, I’ve known him for a long time and he’s a very, very good coach – to make a contribution to being an analyst here and having some input into some things that we could do better, I think, would be a real positive for our organization”. The pair worked together under Pete Carroll in 2005 and 2006, and Sarkisian succeeded Kiffin as head coach following Kiffin’s tumultuous stint with the Trojans.

Sarkisian coached the Huskies to a 34-29 record from 2009-13, guiding the team to four bowl games in five seasons. Offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin helped his new team demolish the Trojans 52-6 on Saturday night.

Sarkisian arrived after Alabama’s season-opening win over USC. Kiffin, the USC coach from 2010-13, directed an offense that amassed nearly 500 total yards and 35 second-half points.

An offensive analyst does not serve as an on-field assistant, with NCAA rules limiting teams to just nine assistants per staff.