Is USC President Max Nikias Avoiding Steve Sarkisian?

Steve Sarkisian said he “tried to talk to (school president) Max Nikias.” Nikias is a huge football fan and was at Salute to Troy. If he is not speaking to Sarkisian, that is significant.

50 thoughts on “Is USC President Max Nikias Avoiding Steve Sarkisian?

  1. Mr Wolf:
    To bad you didn’t ask him that at press conference. I agree that is significant and a good reporter would have jump at that.

    JW
    #isitintheback

  2. Wolf, this is not facts. It is speculation. It does not build credibility. The fact that Max Nikias and Pat Haden have had “no comment” as their response is the story here. What are they doing to ensure the ethics and integrity of the University? Right now that is nothing. Follow that lead.

  3. So the question still stands, why didn’t either of them attend the press conference this morning at such an important media event to show support for their Head Coach?
    Granted, the President of the University probably doesn’t need to be there but certainly, given the circumstances, unless he is already distancing himself from Sarkisian, why wouldn’t Haden be there?
    That speaks volumes to anyone in the P.R. world especially when a client is doing damage control. Sarkisian is about to walk the plank and St. Pat doesn’t want to get salt water on his white bucks.

    • The reason they (Haden and Nikias) were absent is that:
      1. This is not what defines USC – sports.
      2. This is Sarkisian’s doing not the school’s.
      3. This is represents the pecking order – president, A/D and lastly coach.

  4. I just watched the video of sarkisian’s press conference. Steve Sarkisian, looks like a complete mess during the pc. Not only does he give stupid answers, his condition looks really bad. I truly believe he is on some type of medication just by watching the pc. Whatever it is, it is making him look like a mess. I cannot believe this guy is about to lead the USC football team into the coming season. Judging by sark’s condition today, I think this might be a very disappointing season for the men of Troy. Where have you gone Pete Carroll!

  5. Steve Sarkisian embarrassed Max Nikias, and his University on a national level, so of course he’s avoiding Sarkisian. Most boosters and supportive alum frowned on Pat Haden’s hiring of Sarkisian, and I hated the hire myself. Sarkisian will win lots of games for USC, because it’s SC, but noway is he a championship type of coach, and the frustrated alumni will have to sit and wait on the Athletic administration to figure it out.

    • We all hated the Pete Carroll hire as well – I remember being so angry I wrote a letter to Mike Garrett. Boy was I wrong about that.

      Lighten up Sampson! This team has probably the best collection of talent in the country NO DOUBT

      • No doubt SC has a great collection of talent. Fred is probably wondering if that collection of talent is getting the coaching and leadership they deserve. It’s a reasonable question.

        If you saw Sark’s press conference this morning, he looked lost and confused. I certainly felt sorry for him. He has a life he needs to get under control and apparently he hasn’t slept for a couple of nights.

        I am not sure if SC is done with the situation or not, but how SC leadership, primarily Haden, handles the situation is important. Is Haden really supportive of Sark or is he letting him twist in the wind? Tarmac Pat has a few questions to answer as well, IMO.

        • We as fans USC and UCLA think we are almost perfect until these things happen. Sark might have been testing his limits and shot himself in the foot in Saturday night. You, and Fred have really good points on this. And I’ll tip my cap to you Probation U for not bashing and making a joke of this whole thing. This is still a guy who needs friends and some help. So it’s still very serious, Sarks not out of the woods yet.

          • I hate to admit this, but you’ve been the voice of reason on this thing from the start, sas. I jumped to the conclusion that Sark was simply being indiscreet, boorish and self indulgent on Saturday—turns out he might have been getting used to new meds and didn’t appreciate how they’d interact with alcohol. Bottom line—maybe you’re right and we all need to get off his case a little bit.
            (But I still feel a lot sorrier for the team than I do for Sark).

          • I admit that there is some USC homer in me that defends Sark. But ultimately I believe in giving a person another chance. We’ve seen people get second chances under these type of circumstances and right the ship. And we’ve also seen people take advantage of their second chance and blow it greatly. I do feel bad for the team to be put in such a bad light. It’s not they’re fault and they don’t deserve this attention. But I have no problem with giving a person a second chance. It’s up to Steve Sarkisian to become a better person for himself, his kids, friends and family, his team, the university, the people who’ve believed in him.

      • Perhaps they could have prepared Sark a little better before the press conference?

        Maybe a commitment to not take a single drink during the season? At least something with some certainty. Sark looked lost and rudderless. Nobody gave any pretense of having his back, other than the 2 players present, Kessler and Cravens.

        • They definitely couldve prepared him better. If I had to guess. I think Haden was straight to the point with Sark and said “next time you are gone” plaine and simple.

          • I’m not so sure anyone gains by having Sark ‘prepared’ – leaks always seep out. He’s 41 yrs. old – he made a mistake a big one but it is over. Sark’s a big boy – the last thing he needed is to be ‘prepped’

            Keyshawn Johnson was on Max and Marcellus about an hour ago and he noted what I felt – how many of us have been sitting for a while and
            knowingly or not consumed some concoction and haven’t a clue how much –
            get up and all of a sudden everything goes sideways.

            He also bluntly stated the real responsibility is that Sark’s retinue/staff
            should have run interference i.e. not letting him get up there.

          • I feel the same way as you and Keyshawn. Maybe his staff could’ve somehow made an excuse or something. But they didn’t and only Sark is to blame. That being said. He’s human and deserves another chance in my opinion. And I’m glad to hear Keyshawn have Sarks back because he wasn’t very happy when Sark was hired over James Franklin among others.

          • Yes, I saw that later. Hope he follows through on that.

            Sorry you had to lower yourself to the vermin label. Must be a tough day for you. Usually you are more thoughtful.

  6. if there is one person who knows about people “avoiding” other people, it may be Scott Wolf.

  7. Maybe the reason Nikias wasn’t there is he actually has to run a major university and can’t change his schedule to be at a press conference. I agree with Shawn. It is done and over and let’s move on.

  8. Or it just means that Nikias is the busiest man at USC and might not have been available at the moment. JFC, do some actual reporting and not just … well, what you’ve been doing for the last five years. Student journalists at the Daily Trojan when I went to USC had more integrity.

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