Steve Sarkisian’s decision to turn down Colorado and instead return to Alabama for a 2nd season was a major victory for the Crimson Tide. He’s going to provide and get stability that’s been lacking in recent memory.

File that under “things I didn’t expect to write at this time last year.”

A lot changed in the time that Sarkisian returned to Alabama last year as the much-criticized new/old offensive coordinator. Sarkisian went from being the hire that Crimson Tide fans were understandably skeptical about to being the guy who somehow improved Alabama’s historic offense despite the fact that Tua Tagovailoa missed roughly 1/3 of the season due to injury.

When Chris Low’s report surfaced that Sarkisian pulled his name out of the running at Colorado after interviewing for the position and looking like the presumed favorite, you could practically hear the fist pumps from Tuscaloosa.

Part of that celebration was due to the fact that Sarkisian was extremely good at his job in 2019, and part of that probably had to do with the fact that it all but clinched that Alabama would return both coordinators for the first time since 2015. That year, with Kirby Smart and Lane Kiffin, ended with a national championship. With Sarkisian back, Alabama has a much better chance of doing that after 2 seasons without a title.

(If you were wondering, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 and 2015 were the other times that Saban returned both coordinators. Alabama obviously won a title in 3 of those 5 seasons. But Alabama also won titles with 1st-year offensive coordinators in 2012 and 2017, so take that for what you will.)

It also says a lot about the potential direction of the offense that Sarkisian didn’t leave at the first Power 5 opportunity that came his way since returning to the college game after 2 subpar years as the offensive coordinator of the Atlanta Falcons.

But lost in the hoopla of Alabama’s good news, it was fair to wonder about the “why.” As in, why did a 45-year-old coach pass on an opportunity he spent the past half-decade working to get?

To be clear, I’m not saying that when Sarkisian was logging away hours of watching film as an Alabama offensive analyst in 2016 that it was all so that he could take over at Colorado someday. Also, I don’t have any actual inside information on this subject. Sarkisian didn’t release a statement or hold a press conference, either.

But the “why” in all of this is significant.

If the “why” was simply Sarkisian not getting the best vibe from the administration and the resources that he’d have at Colorado — something that’s certainly possible after coming from a place like Alabama — then that at least suggests that Sarkisian isn’t in any hurry to leave his surroundings in Tuscaloosa. People who hate their bosses and aren’t satisfied will make compromises at a new job. Sarkisian didn’t pull a Dan Enos or a Josh Gattis.

If the “why” was Sarkisian electing for more stability in his life, that would make sense. Had he accepted the Colorado job, that would’ve been his 7th job in his 4th time zone since the start of the 2013 season. Even for a football coach, that’s a ton of moving, which is essentially the worst thing that we regularly do as human beings. But there’s also possibly the desire to — after his struggles with alcohol that led to his exit at USC — show that he can be a stable force somewhere. In his perfect world, maybe that would have been with the Falcons.

There’s another theory that’s worth mentioning in the “why.” It’s probably something that you, reader of this column, already thought about. I certainly have.

How much did the arrival of Bryce Young at Alabama play a part in this? It’s no secret that the longtime relationship between the 5-star early enrollee and Sarkisian is strong. Wanting to see that through absolutely could have been on the mind of the Alabama offensive coordinator.

Think about it. Last year, Sarkisian inherited a preseason Heisman Trophy favorite in Tua Tagovailoa. When was the last time Sarkisian got to legitimately develop a quarterback? It was probably Keith Price at Washington in 2013. I suppose Cody Kessler’s monster 2014 season with Sarkisian is worth mentioning, but his leave of absence in Year 2 sort of prevented him from truly seeing that through. By returning to Alabama, Sarkisian can finally have another opportunity to show that he can develop a quarterback.

There’s another “why” that comes with that. Why be linked so closely with vacancies at Colorado and Mississippi State if the plan was always to stay? Was it just about leverage? Or was there a legitimate desire to become a Power 5 coach in 2020?

If Sarkisian does want to scratch that itch again, it’s reasonable to think he’ll have opportunities to do that next year, or the year after that. He’s obviously in a different position than Kirby Smart was in when he spent 9 years on Saban’s staff before getting the Georgia job.

I bring that up because if Sarkisian is on a year-by-year basis at Alabama moving forward, that’s all the more reason to want to see what he has with Young in 2020. Sure, Sarkisian did some impressive things with Mac Jones down the stretch. But if Young becomes a star as many expect him to, Sarkisian suddenly has even more leverage in the coaching market.

As it relates to 2020, this is one of those things that could be the difference in who wins a national title.

Alabama fans remember when handsomely-paid Brent Venables dialed up the perfect game plan to stymie the Crimson Tide offense in 2018. Crimson Tide fans saw how important the addition of an assistant like Joe Brady was in helping LSU not just beat Alabama, but complete arguably the best season in college football history.

The stage is now set for Sarkisian to become that guy. You know, the assistant fans say “write him a blank check so he doesn’t leave” in the midst of a national title run. Whether that happens remains to be seen.

One thing is for sure — Sarkisian gave Alabama fans the answer they were hoping for in 2020.