Report: Split between Steve Sarkisian, Alabama mutual amid deteriorating relationship with Nick Saban
https://www.seccountry.com/alabama/steve-sarkisian-alabama-mutual
It looks like the split between Alabama and offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian may not only have been mutual, but planned.
Sources confirmed to SB Nation that Sarkisian and head coach Nick Saban saw their relationship deteriorate after the National Championship because of differences in offensive “system philosophy.”
Those sources confirmed that Saban knew about Sarkisian’s contact with the Falcons and that the two sides “planned to move on following National Signing Day.” According to the sources, the relationship between Saban and Sarkisian was “too similar” to his relationship with former offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, which was famously rocky.
“There was an effort on Saban’s part not to repeat the same problem. This wasn’t going to work out,” a source close to Sarkisian told SB Nation.
The Falcons confirmed that they were hiring Sarkisian on Tuesday afternoon, just two days after losing the Super Bowl and a day after former offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan was officially announced as the San Francisco 49ers’ head coach.