Steve Sarkisian reflects on opportunity to fill in for Nick Saban during Iron Bowl win
By Jake Rill
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Every Saturday, you can be sure to see Nick Saban on the sidelines leading Alabama. Except on Nov. 28, when a positive COVID-19 test prevented the Crimson Tide head coach from being at Bryant-Denny Stadium for an Iron Bowl matchup against Auburn.
In Saban’s absence, offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian stepped up and had an increased role for Alabama. He then led the Crimson Tide to a 42-13 win to keep their undefeated season alive.
Saban returned the following week for Alabama’s win at LSU on Dec. 5, so it ended up being only a one-game absence. Sarkisian returned to his regular duties after that. And this week, he broke down what it was like filling in for Saban for that matchup.
“Obviously, it was a unique scenario. And it was one that I just wanted to do the best job I could do for the university, for our football program, for Coach Saban,” Sarkisian said during a Tuesday press conference. “And ultimately, it was about the players. The guys played their tails off in that game. They played really well in all three phases, and I just kind of did my part the best I could. And again, I didn’t want to lose sight of what my initial role always is, and that’s to have our offense ready to play and to call plays.
“So the end result, it was an awesome opportunity. It was great to kind of be back in that role for a few hours. But the reality of it is it was about the players and their performance. And I was proud of the way they played in the game.”
Sarkisian has done a tremendous job leading Alabama’s offense this season. The Crimson Tide are averaging 543.9 total yards per game, fourth most in the country among teams that played more than four games. Sarkisian also won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach.
In his second season in his current role on Alabama’s staff, Sarkisian is now helping Alabama prepare for the Rose Bowl, a College Football Playoff semifinal matchup.
Alabama and Notre Dame are set to kick off on Friday at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Jake Rill contributes to news coverage for Saturday Down South. He has covered the SEC since 2016.
