Sarkisian, Sarkisian: He's Our Man!

Well, apparently the search is over and UW's hire is a guy who was barely mentioned the last few weeks. That could mean Steve Sarkisian was way down on Washington's list or the administration was really good at employing red herrings. Either way, it sounds as if he aced the interview. According to Bob Condotta of the Times, "One source said (UW athletic director Scott) Woodward was blown away by Sarkisian's interview and decided to go with a young, energetic face to take over for the fired Tyrone Willingham."

Here's what we do know: Sarkisian is the 34-year-old offensive coordinator for USC, and is also reportedly USC's recruiting coordinator. The hire is getting mixed reviews on one Husky blog, which is natural when you bring in a relatively unkown quantity like Sarkisian. On its face, hiring a kid with no head-coaching experience smacks of a mid-major or the Oakland Raiders. Then again, some point out, Bob Stoops was never a head man before Oklahoma lured him away from Florida.

Consider several points here that could make this a very good get. If Sarkisian has as much to do with recruiting as his title implies, then UW should welcome him with open arms. USC has talent to burn every year, although that's more about Pete Carroll than Steve Sarkisian. (And this year SC's defense is more dominant than its offense.) Still, Sarkisian had to have made some solid California recruiting connections that he can bring here.

Sarkisian also no doubt had a hand in developing former Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart, since he was twice quarterbacks coach at USC (sandwiched around a year with the Raiders). He is a former QB himself and led BYU to a 14-1 record in 1996 (who plays a 15-game season?), with the only loss, ironically, against UW. This hire had to be made with Jake Locker in mind, who would be clapping at this news if he didn't have a broken thumb.

Sarkisian comes from good coaching stock, having worked under Carroll and former USC offensive coordinator (and current UCLA OC) Norm Chow. Chow is known as an offensive genius and is probably the best coach never to get a head job. He was also Sarkisian's offensive coordinator at BYU and hired him at USC in 2001. What is troubling here, though, is that Sarkisian and Chow apparently haven't spoken in four years. This LA Times article intimates that Sarkisian helped push Chow out the door in 2005, although Carroll seems to be at least as culpable for this as Sarkisian. Lack of ambition seems not to be an issue with young Sark.

On the other hand, some in Trojan Nation had become disenchanted with Sarkisian's playcalling. This article shows surprising fan vitriol against Sarkisian's abilities, especially compared to Chow's. Perhaps Lady Dice could weigh in on this.

With this hire, UW officials had to go in the opposite direction of a Tyrone Willingham, and they did. In getting a young energetic coach, the school is hoping to fire up an unhappy and shrinking fan base. Despite his youth, he's a guy who already has a recruiting track record and success working with quarterbacks, the position most crucial to UW's potential success. From afar, he seems barely indistinguishable from another potential UW coaching candidate: Lane Kiffin, now the head guy at Tennessee. Of course, some are already grumbling that Washington didn't get a high-profile head coach with previous success, a la Mike Leach; what about that big splash UW was supposed to make? Of course, nobody is going to please everybody, and as with any decision that's hours old, we'll just have to wait and see what happens. But either way, it's a gutsy move on UW's part, with all the risks and potential rewards that come with it.