When the South Carolina Gamecocks parted ways with head coach Will Muschamp earlier this week, Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian’s name surfaced as a potential replacement.
Sarkisian, 46, is in his second season with the Crimson Tide as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach. Sarkisian also spent the 2016 season with Alabama after being fired as head coach of USC.
However, ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit doesn’t necessarily see Sarkisian taking the South Carolina job if offered.
“I don’t know if he’d be willing to leave Alabama as the OC, personally, to go to South Carolina and start from scratch. I don’t know,” Herbstreit said on the CFB Podcast with Herbie, Pollack and Negandhi.
“Maybe he would. But I think he’s in a better spot right now, to wait and kind of see what else might come up down the road,” Herbstreit continued.
When South Carolina athletic director Ray Tanner spoke on Monday after Muschamp’s dismissal, he mentioned a coach with an offensive background would be the priority.
Ray Tanner on what he's looking for in a new coach, mentions offense first. "It's a time where everyone lights up the scoreboard. The 10-7 games are a distant memory."
— Brandon Zimmerman (@BZSEC) November 16, 2020
That’s certainly Sarkisian.
Since Sarkisian returned to Alabama, the Crimson Tide’s passing offense is among the elite in college football.
And perhaps Herbstreit is right; maybe Sarkisian waits for a potentially better opportunity down the line instead of accepting a rebuilding job now.