In 2015, everything in his life fell apart. Struggling with alcoholism, Steve Sarkisian lost his marriage and his job and wasn’t sure if he’d ever be able to coach again.
Texas football earned a spot in the SEC Championship Game after beating Texas A&M on Saturday.
Highlights
- Back in 2015, while Steve Sarkisian was coaching at USC, he took a leave of absence after showing up drunk to a pre-practice meeting.
- His battle with alcoholism stretched on for years, but hitting rock bottom at USC ultimately led him to seek help and get sober.
- Sarkisian revealed that CC Sabathia, the former Yankees pitcher, influenced his decision to seek help for his alcoholism.
According to his contract, coach Steve Sarkisian will receive a $150,000 bonus as a result.
If the Longhorns win against Georgia on December 7 in Atlanta, he will receive another $150,000.
For the 2024 season, Sarkisian’s base salary is $10.6 million, making him the third-highest-paid coach in the country, behind only Dabo Swinney from Clemson and Kirby Smart from Georgia.
His contract was extended earlier this 2024 after he guided the Longhorns to the College Football Playoff in 2023.
But his life wasn’t the same as it had been before.
Steve Sarkisian Was In The Path Of Self-destruction Due To Alcoholism
Back in 2015, while he was coaching at USC, he took a leave of absence after showing up drunk to a pre-practice meeting. The school fired him the next day.
Reports later surfaced of other troubling incidents. ESPN revealed that Sarkisian’s assistants suspected he was intoxicated during a game against Arizona State just weeks before his firing.
The Los Angeles Times also reported multiple alcohol-related issues during his time in Washington.
Sarkisian filed a lawsuit for breach of contract and discrimination, arguing that the university terminated him instead of allowing him to get treatment for his alcoholism.
However, he lost the $30 million lawsuit, which claimed his firing was unjust.
At the same time, Sarkisian’s marriage began to unravel. His first wife, Stephanie, filed for divorce on April 20th, 2015, citing irreconcilable differences.
The couple had been married since 1997 and had three young children together.
A few days after the filing, they issued a joint statement regarding the divorce, expressing their intention to keep the details private for the sake of their children and each other.
They emphasized their commitment to co-parenting and raising their children in a supportive and loving environment.
His battle with alcoholism stretched on for years, but hitting rock bottom at USC ultimately led him to seek help and get sober.
In a 2017 interview with CBS Sports, Sarkisian revealed that his decision to seek help for his alcoholism was influenced by CC Sabathia, the former Yankees pitcher who stepped away from the 2015 postseason to enter rehab.
After completing his rehab, Sarkisian continued to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to maintain his sobriety.
Nick Saban Turned Steve Sarkisian’s Life To Sobriety
A significant turning point in his career came when Nick Saban offered him a chance to return to coaching.
In 2016, Saban hired Sarkisian as an offensive analyst at Alabama.
By the end of that season, Sarkisian replaced Lane Kiffin as Alabama’s offensive coordinator.
His time in that role was brief, but by early 2017, Sarkisian was hired as the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons.
Saban remained a crucial figure in Sarkisian’s comeback, bringing him back to Alabama in 2019.
Sarkisian worked with future NFL stars like Tua Tagovailoa, DeVonta Smith, and Mac Jones there, solidifying his reputation.
His success in Tuscaloosa and his commitment to staying sober led to his hiring as Texas’s head coach in 2021.
Sarkisian also credits Saban for playing a crucial role in saving his life.
As part of Alabama’s routine pre-season physical exams for its coaching staff, doctors discovered a serious heart condition that required immediate surgery in 2020.
Thanks to the exam, Sarkisian could undergo surgery and fully recover.
Had it not been for the screening, he could have been just days or weeks away from a potentially fatal heart aneurysm.
Additional Information
- After their divorce from their first wife, Stephanie, Sarkisian remarried Loreal Smith, a former collegiate track star and coach.
- In July 2024, Sarkisian and Smith announced they had filed for divorce. However, they are cordial with one another.
- He has Armenian and Irish roots and follows the Catholic faith.
