Football
- Title:
- Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
- Phone:
- 205-348-3600
Steve Sarkisian returned to head coach Nick Saban's staff at Alabama as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in January of 2019 after two years coordinating the Atlanta Falcons offense.
Sarkisian served as the Crimson Tide's offensive coordinator for the 2017 College Football Championship Game after spending the 2016 season with Alabama as an analyst prior to being promoted.
In 2019, Sarkisian inherits a deep and talented quarterback room in Tuscaloosa, led by Maxwell Award winner and Walter Camp Player of the Year Tua Tagovailoa along with redshirt sophomore Mac Jones and incoming freshmen Taulia Tagovailoa and Paul Tyson. Tua, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, threw for an Alabama record 3,966 yards and 43 touchdowns in 2018 while accounting for 4,156 yards of total offense and 48 scores.
In Atlanta, Sarkisian's 2018 offense finished in the top 10 in the NFL in passing yards (fourth – 4,653 yards), total yards (sixth – 6,226 yards) and 10th in scoring (25.9 ppg). Quarterback Matt Ryan was third in the NFL in passing yards (4,924 yards) while tossing 35 touchdowns. Wide receiver Julio Jones caught 113 passes for 1,677 yards and eight touchdowns and Calvin Ridley added 64 catches for 821 yards and a team-high 10 scores. Jones led the league in receiving yards in 2018 while Ridley paced all rookies in receiving yards and touchdowns.
In 2017, two pieces of the Falcons offense, center Alex Mack and Jones, were selected to the Pro Bowl. Atlanta led the NFL in third-down percentage his first season while finishing eighth in the league in passing offense (249.4) and third in yards per play (5.93).
Sarkisian not only boasts play-calling experience at the highest levels of football, but seven years as a Football Bowl Subdivision head coach. He guided the Southern California program in 2014-15 and the Washington Huskies from 2009-13. He posted a head-coaching record of 46-35 over those seven seasons while leading his teams to five bowl appearances.
During his time as head coach at Southern California, Sarkisian led the Trojans to a 12-6 overall record including a second-place finish in the Pac-12's Southern Division in 2014. His 2014 offense at USC ranked in the top 25 nationally in passing efficiency (fourth – 165.35), passing offense (15th – 296.6 ypg), third down conversions (19th – 46.6%) and scoring offense (22nd – 35.8 ppg).
At Washington, Sarkisian inherited a program in 2009 that had won just 12 games during the previous five seasons, including a winless season the year prior. Despite that challenge, he guided the Huskies to bowl games his last four seasons. His eight victories in 2013 were the most at UW since 2000. His overall Washington record was 34-29. His tenure in Seattle resulted in eight wins over Associated Press Top 25 teams (No. 3 USC, No. 19 California in 2009; No. 18 USC, No. 18 Nebraska and No. 24 Oregon State in 2010; No. 7 Oregon State and No. 8 Stanford in 2012; No. 13 Boise State in 2013).
Among the UW players Sarkisian coached were nine NFL draftees, including quarterback Jake Locker, cornerback Desmond Trufant, linebackers Donald Butler and All-American Mason Foster, defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim and tailback Bishop Sankey, plus All-Pac-12 tailback Chris Polk.
Sarkisian arrived at Southern California as an assistant in 2001 and took over as the quarterbacks coach in 2002, where he tutored quarterback Carson Palmer to the Heisman Trophy and the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NFL Draft. After spending the 2004 season as the quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders, Sarkisian returned to the Trojan staff in February of 2005 as the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach for four seasons (2005-08). He added the offensive coordinator role to his duties in 2007 and 2008 at USC.
At USC, Sarkisian coached Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, along with NFL signal-callers Mark Sanchez, John David Booty and Matt Cassel. The Trojans went 23-3 during his tenure as the offensive coordinator.
Sarkisian starred at the quarterback position at the prep, collegiate and pro levels. He spent time with the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League for three seasons (1997-99) following his collegiate career at BYU.
While with the Cougars from 1995-96, he completed 549-of-824 passes (66.6 percent) for 7,755 yards and 55 touchdowns. His 162.0 career passing efficiency rating was third on the all-time NCAA list when he finished playing. As a senior in 1996, he led the nation in passing efficiency (173.6, the fourth-best mark in NCAA history at the time), leading the Cougars to the WAC championship and a win in the 1997 Cotton Bowl. He was the WAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1996 and earned second team All-America honors. Â
Sarkisian earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from BYU in 1997 after getting his associate's degree in general studies from El Camino College in 1994.
He has two daughters, Ashley and Taylor, and a son, Brady.
