At a news conference before Tuesday morning’s practice, Sarkisian issued an apology for his behavior at the Salute to Troy.
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“I took medication & mixed it w. alcohol – not a lot – and I responded in a way that was not acceptable for me or the university”.
Sarkisian slurred his words and used profanity as he addressed a crowd of an estimated 2,500 people, which included his players, the coaching staff, past players, fans and donors.
Sarkisian also apparently disparaged several of the Trojans’ Pac-12 rivals and ended his comments with a profane version of USC’s “Fight On” slogan.
“That’s an issue that really should remain private”, Sarkisian said.
“I’ve met with Pat at length, and there’s things we’re going to work on moving forward”, Sarkisian said.
Steve Sarkisian will seek treatment, but not enter rehab, and won’t drink during 2015 season.
The move would seem to be a reaction to the incident at the Salute to Troy dinner.
Sarkisian had released a statement on Sunday apologizing for his behavior, but clarified his version of what happened that night. He made such a scene, that USC athletic director Pat Haden had to step in.
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“The leadership committee has been tremendous in support of who I am and what I’m about”, Sarkisian said. A Los Angeles-area native, Sarkisian briefly played baseball at USC before becoming a quarterback at BYU.
