Alabama football coach Nick Saban didn’t have to go far to find Lane Kiffin’s replacement.
Former Southern California head coach Steve Sarkisian, who joined the Crimson Tide staff in September as an offensive analyst, was named Friday as Alabama’s new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Kiffin was recently hired as Florida Atlantic’s head coach but will remain as the Tide’s offensive coordinator through this season, which continues on New Year’s Eve with the national semifinal against Washington in the Peach Bowl.
“I am humbled and honored to have the opportunity to join Coach Saban’s staff, and I can’t thank the University of Alabama enough,” Sarkisian said in a statement released by the school. “I have always admired the Alabama program from afar, and getting to be part of this football team these past few months has only reinforced my belief that this is the best college football organization in the country.
“There are many outstanding coaches and athletes at the University of Alabama, and I am extremely excited to start working with them in my new role. This is a very special place to have the opportunity to coach when you consider the program’s rich tradition and the unrivaled passion of the fan base.”
Sarkisian became Southern California’s offensive coordinator in 2007 after Kiffin was hired by the Oakland Raiders and was the Trojans’ play-caller for two years before becoming head coach at Washington, which had gone 0-12 in 2008. He went 34-29 with the Huskies from 2009 to 2013 before being lured back as head coach of USC, where he followed Kiffin a second time.