Source: Steve Sarkisian On Leave

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A source said Steve Sarkisian is going to be on leave and Clay Helton will take over team on interim basis.

Source said Sarkisian was not in good shape today.

61 thoughts on “Source: Steve Sarkisian On Leave”

  1. Man – well it had to be done esp.if Sarkisian is un fit – good luck to him and kudos for Haden making a tough decision

  2. Let’s hope and pray he gets his life and family together. Looks like he should have done that after the Tribute to Troy debacle. Haden missed judged that situation. Best wishes for Helton.

    • My sense is the alcohol culture at USC is bigger than most people would believe. PH is likely going into full containment mode.

  3. What a shock that Wolf got the story wrong first. Just kidding, it’s typical of his ready, fire, aim mentality. But hey, at least Scotty got the be the first “journalist” who was wrong but publishing so quickly.

    • I truly have to hand it to Scott – the Drudge Report compared to the establishment LA Times – nuthin’ just Plaschke and his sermons

  6. I feel bad for Sark. Alcoholism, divorce, this stuff hurts and I’m sure most of us have felt it through our families or friends at some time in our lives. I hope Sark can reconnect with his family and get well. This seems sudden, but we still have season to continue.

    • SAS right on! All of us have had something that we don’t want anyone knowing about – in Sark’s case it”s all out there and to that degree here’s to his finding his way out of the labyrinth he’s fallen into – the past is prologue

      Best to Steve Sarkisian

      • How true! Better to see first hand what life can deal one at an age where memories are stored with detail and also realize no one is guaranteed a free ride

  7. Hope Sark gets it together for himself and his family – God Bless!

    Fight On SC – this is a very sad day for all Trojans, but it sounds like Sark needs help with this one.

  10. Hats off to Pat Haden. This was not an easy decision for him and yet he knew viscerally something had to be done before more whispers continued to sap the coaching staff and players.

    Haden did as good managers do – they face the reality regardless of personal connection and move for the betterment of the corporation or in this instance a university.

    USC is defined by football in so many ways – let us hope these next 3 mos. result in a solid list of candidates and especially with more names – a good back up should a potential hire decline the offer.

    Hats off to Pat Haden

    • I hate to sound insensitive to the subject. But when the Coach is hired he better keep Tee Martin, and Marcus Tuiasosopo.

      • Lots of teams were going after Tee Martin, but Marcus Tuiasosopo has not earned a national reputation just, yet

        • Tee’s important to the program. Almost Ed Orgeron like. Players want to play for him and he knows the X’s and O’s of football. And to top it off he was just named the #1 recruiter in college football last month. His players want to be around him and watch film with him. He’s been an important part of the program from the day Kiffin brought him in. He has to be a a top priority to the the next coach. And Tuiasosopo is quickly becoming and growing into another Tee.

      • I think you want to be careful with that, the kind of coaches you want will demand full autonomy over the staff.

    • Hats off to Haden??!!?? You got to be kidding Albarado… When Sark slurred “Git readddy to fu@king fight on buabbbby” at salute to troy, he should have made the move for Sark the person. Haden is a coward that cares about football more than a human being! He is no leader at all! He should be fired for being a bad human being and a.d.

  11. Sark is not a bad guy. I hope he gets the help he needs.
    This move was the right one for both him and the university.

  12. Being put on “leave of absence” in the middle of the season with a rivalry game coming up next makes as much sense as screen doors on submarines. This is probably Haden’s way of making it less humiliating for Sark.

    • Actually that makes a lot of sense, because the schedule is getting ready to get rough,

    • Screen doors makes sense, because the Sub doesn’t stay ALL THE WAY under water always, it comes up, would be nice to catch some sea breeze without kelp, pelicans and sea salt sloshing in. Think about it.

  13. Coaches are always preaching sports as building character. Coach Sark, I hope your team learns a very valuable lesson from this. Nothing is more important than your health and your family.Fight On

  14. As a proud UCLA Troll, my first inclination is to lol and sing tole you so, tole you so, and pile on with a dozen or so more cheeky KU put downs.

    However, I’m going to pass on commenting Sark’s problems. Although I believe he deserves to take responsibility for his many problems, I can’t in good conscious laugh and point at a man who needs to recover his health and self respect.

    Been there done that, Good luck Sark.

        • We’re gonna have to score runs tomorrow with Anderson on the mound. It’s gonna be tough.

          • sas, I think Donny B is headed to Tampa Bay next year, whatever the Dodger playoff outcome.

          • The Miami Marlins have publicly said they want Don Matingly. We had the chance to grab Joel Madden last year now he’s a Cub.

          • I know, but Dodger mgmt. had caved to Donnie’s demand for an extension. Why I don’t know.

          • Yep. And he probably should’ve taken Kershaw out after allowing that first walk in his last inning.

          • 100% agree with you. And we NEVER get Kershaw runs when he needs them. He actually pitched extremely well. But we won’t win a playoff game if our team only produces 1 run for our Ace or any pitcher for that matter.

          • Kershaw would’ve won another Cy Young with decent run support and relievers who could hold a lead. It’s been frustrating to watch this year and it’s still happening.

          • after Kershaw and Greinke it will be tough to get past the 7th,8th,9th innings let alone make it there with a lead.

          • Yes. It’s because of Donnie’s limited ability to handle pitchers thea k has the ugly playoff ERA.

            I would have started Granke (sic) in the first game and given K one more day of rest. In fact that’s what I expected. But K got the start.

    • He showed up to work drunk, he wasn’t shooting heroine between his toes because all his veins collapsed. There’s a looooooooong way for Steve to fall before he hits rock bottom. I mean he could end up coaching the Terps, that would be rock bottom.

        • I show up to work sh*tfaced almost every morning and I’m fine. I’m half drunk right now, can you believe it? Of Course not.

  15. It seems like all the commenters are sure this means Sark is gone already. Wouldn’t that be the same thing as benching someone for being injured? How do we know that this won’t add time to Sark’s tenure? Haden might need an eject button, but how are people going to view him basically kicking a guy when he’s down. I’m not as sure this marks the end of Sark at USC.

    • Haden already made the biggest mistake of not suspending Sark after Salute to Troy. I admit I wasn’t for Sark getting suspended. And I admit I was very naive and flat out blind. This looks bad to (of course Sark) the program, boosters, alumni and fan base. Haden should probably step down soon. He made the right decision to put Sark on leave, but the right decision also might be for Haden to step down as Athletic Director. It’s a bad situation. We don’t want people to lose jobs, but this is getting out of control.

      • The program has been so unsettled for so long and the hits just keep coming. Let’s not forget that Haden also has to deal with the Enfield hiring, so I don’t see him stepping down with things in flux like they are. He’s got a mess to clean up at ‘SC and it seems it’s mostly his doing.

        • I hear you. But that might be all the more reason for Haden to step down and let someone else do things another way.

          • Whatever happens I hope Haden doesn’t distract the team by making the coaching search publicly loud so the players can try keep their focus on the remainder of the season.

          • I would agree with that, but I don’t know if a coaching search is imminent. Tough, tough situation for all concerned.

  16. The worst part is that his “problem” has now impacted the potential livelihoods of his players for years to come. Kessler was (emphasis on was) a potential Heisman contender, not anymore, Kiffin screwed up Barkly’s final year and dropped him significantly in the draft, now the same is likely to happen to Kessler. I hope Sark gets help, but I pray more that his problems do not impact the players.

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