Former USC coach Steve Sarkisian recovering from heart surgery

Former USC Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian underwent heart surgery after a routine physical at Alabama revealed some concerns.

Former USC Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian, now an offensive coordinator at Alabama, underwent successful heart surgery last week.

During Sarkisian’s annual executive physical, it was determined he needed an immediate procedure to correct a congenital cardiovascular anomaly.

“Coach Sarkisian underwent a successful procedure this past Thursday (July 2) in Birmingham,” a statement from Alabama’s athletic department read. “He is back home in Tuscaloosa and is expected to make a full recovery.”

Sarkisian initially joined the Trojans in 2001 as an offensive assistant under coach Pete Carroll and offensive coordinator Norm Chow. Sarkisian was also an assistant from 2005-2008, and he eventually landed as the head coach at the University of Washington, where he operated from 2009-2013.

Sarkisian finally took over as the head coach for the Trojans during the 2014 and 2015 seasons, going 9-4 in 2014 and winning the Holiday Bowl. He went 3-2 to start the 2015 campaign before he was asked to take a leave of absence following an incident of being drunk at work. The leave of absence eventually turned into termination, and coach Clay Helton took over on an interim basis, a role he has kept ever since.

Sarkisian has bounced around at Alabama and the Atlanta Falcons since then, and is now settled in as Alabama’s offensive coordinator.

Although his final stint at USC is not remembered very fondly, we extend best wishes to coach Sarkisian as he recovers from heart surgery.

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