Steve

Sarkisian

Texas has made the College Football Playoff each of the last two years after hiring Sarkisian away from his job as Alabama offensive coordinator. Sarkisian has NFL OC experience as well, as he coached the Falcons in 2017 and 2018 after Kyle Shanahan was hired away by the 49ers. Sark’s offense has been up-and-down this year at times at Texas, but he’s lost a ton of NFL talent and Quinn Ewers has not exactly delivered him exemplary quarterback play. He’d be an interesting hire for a team looking to help build an offensive culture.

Although the move is surprising on the surface, it makes sense if you dig even a little bit deeper. More of a creature of college than the pros, Sarkisian would have merely been serving as a sounding board for Kliff Kingsbury in Arizona, who will undoubtedly be calling his own plays. At Bama, Sark will be working with the best college coach of his generation as he perhaps angles for another head-coaching opportunity. Sark’s previous play-calling stint in Tuscaloosa lasted one game after OC Lane Kiffin bolted for Florida Atlantic.

Kliff Kingsbury’s staff is coming together with Vance Joseph assuming defensive coordinator responsibilities and now Sarkisian on the verge of becoming Arizona’s OC. Sarkisian was also in the running for the offensive coordinator opening in Detroit. The former USC head coach saw mixed results during his two-year stay in Atlanta and now inherits an offense featuring David Johnson and not much else. He and Kingsbury will be tasked with getting the most out of Josh Rosen, who struggled throughout his rookie campaign.

Kliff Kingsbury is going to serve as his own offensive coordinator/play-caller, but like Chip Kelly before him, he still needs a sounding board. Sark, who has coached in both the pros and college, could be a valuable resource for the Air Raid fish out of water. Sark is not from the Air Raid coaching tree, however. He is also reportedly a candidate for the Lions’ job.

Marvez also reports that Sark has “spoken with” the Cardinals. Sark would be a better choice than Hackett in Detroit. Hackett had some good spells in Jacksonville but too often fell back on unimaginative play-calling. Neither would be an inspiring antidote to what ailed the Lions in 2018.

Atlanta also fired DC Marquand Manuel and ST coach Keith Armstrong following their first losing season since 2014. Taking over from Kyle Shanahan and his historic 2016 attack, Sarkisian was never going to meet the lofty expectations set by that squad, but the offense fell more than anyone expected in 2017 and had concerning bouts of ineffectiveness this season including in a five-game losing streak which cost Atlanta a chance at the playoffs. Now out in Atlanta, it is possible Sark returns to the college ranks.

Owner Arthur Blank is apparently convinced coach Dan Quinn is not the problem. Pelissero mentions ex-Quinn Seattle coaching mate Darrell Bevell as a possibility to replace Sark. That would be perhaps the least-inspiring hire the Falcons could make. Sark’s offense has run extremely hot and cold this season, going through an unstoppable stretch in the red zone before much lower-wattage affairs over the past two months. Manuel has not had a prayer because of a wave of defensive injuries.

Schultz is not a usual Rotoworld source and this news comes completely out of left field, so we are holding off making it official at this point. Sarkisian took over for Lane Kiffin as Bama’s offensive coordinator in the week before the National Championship loss, and it was assumed he would continue in that position in 2017. Most of Sark’s experience comes at the college level including runs as the head coach at Washington and USC, but he did serve as the Raiders QB coach in 2004. He also reportedly put out “feelers” to NFL teams last January.

Jordan Schultz of The Huffington Post was first with the news, and Adam Schefter among others confirmed the report minutes later. It is both surprising Sarkisian decided to leave Alabama after taking over as the offensive coordinator the week before the National Championship loss and the Falcons are turning to a coach with no experience calling plays in the NFL. Sarkisian reportedly was looking to join the NFL ranks last January, however, and he and coach Dan Quinn reportedly know each other well and are both part of the Pete Carroll coaching tree. While the lack of experience in the NFL is a big concern, especially for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, Sarkisian is a quality offensive coach who will have plenty of talent to work with in Atlanta.

“I’m an aggressive by nature play-caller, and that’s something (coach Dan Quinn) believes in,” was Sark’s exact quote. That was certainly true during Sark’s time in the Pac-12, and would be a continuation of Kyle Shanahan’s philosophy in Atlanta. It’s always something fantasy owners should want to hear.