After a disappointing 3-2 start following a loss against the Huskies, Sarkisian’s direction is looking shaky, too.
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Sarkisian’s yearning to return to USC made it possible for Washington to land Boise State’s Chris Petersen, a far more accomplished coach who does not berate players half his age. He took over the squad in 2013 during the USC coaching carousel.
On Sunday, Sarkisian presided over an 11 a.m. team meeting, but he was not on the field for a 12:30 p.m. workout.
USC Offensive Coordinator Clay Helton running practice on Sunday, October 11. Attempts to reach Sarkisian were unsuccessful. Try convincing Athletic Director Pat Haden who, if he could, would hire his old coach John McKay if he were not dead. The officials huddled on the field. He also used an expletive prior to the rallying phrase “Fight On”.
Sarkisian showed up Sunday morning at USC and “he appeared not normal” and then was told to leave, a source told ESPN. The event was closed to media.
“I don’t have a lot of answers”, Haden said.
Sarkisian promise not drink alcohol again this season.
Kelly talked about what he wants to see from his secondary, and how two games against option competition might have actually been part of the problem this year.
“I hope we’re all exhausted of me saying this”. I just learned about this about 1 o’clock.
Sarkisian’s alcohol-related issues only emerged this season.
“We didn’t play the way I know we’re capable of playing, and so my job is to try to figure that out”, Sarkisian said. “People responsible for the hiring and for the continuation of their employment need to have consequences”.
Jerry Tillery did sprain his elbow, though Kelly said the freshman will wear a brace and continue to play. In the first recruiting cycle after the sanctions ended, Sarkisian and his staff signed the nation’s consensus top class last February.
Haden had a chance to end this in August – and more important, truly help Sarkisian deal with his demons — and chose not to. “And I think that response in scoring right away, kind of settled everybody down”, Kelly said.
Osagie Ero, a sophomore in computer science, cited Sarkisian’s health.
“To me, a commitment is like a marriage”, Hayes said at The Opening. “But I just wish he didn’t have to step down”.
North Texas: Offensive coordinator Mike Canales was chosen interim coach for the rest of the season, a day after coach Dan McCarney was sacked following a 66-7 homecoming loss to FCS team Portland State. Sark was brought back to Troy even though there was pressure on Haden to keep popular interim coach Ed Orgeron or hire other candidates. This is Helton’s second time acting as interim coach for the Trojans, having previously served in 2013 when he led the university to a Las Vegas Bowl victory. The coaches reportedly believed he was not sober.
Sarkisian, a former BYU quarterback who played in the CFL, was an assistant under Pete Carroll on the Trojans’ great teams of the previous decade.
Sarkisian has taken a leave of absence from USC. It’s a very unique honor. “The locker-room mood is shocked, obviously”.
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