USC, Haden opt to fire Sarkisian

LOS ANGELES — Southern California fired Steve Sarkisian on Monday, one day after the troubled football coach was put on leave.

Athletic Director Pat Haden made the move one day after determining Sarkisian showed up at school in no condition to lead practice, although Haden refused to reveal specifics about the coach’s condition. Offensive coordinator Clay Helton was appointed interim coach Sunday.

USC hasn’t elaborated on Sarkisian’s problems, but the second-year coach had an embarrassing public display in August at a pep rally where he appeared to be intoxicated while giving a speech. Sarkisian later apologized and said he had combined alcohol and medication, but promised not to drink again during the season.

Sarkisian’s unsteady appearance Sunday prompted Haden to make the program’s fourth coaching change in just over two years.

“After careful consideration of what is in the best interest of the university and our student-athletes, I have made the

decision to terminate Steve Sarkisian, effective immediately,” Haden said in a statement.

“I want to add how proud I am of our coaching staff and players and the way they are responding to this difficult situation. Through all of this, we remain concerned for Steve and hope that it will give him the opportunity to focus on his personal well-being.”

Helton will officially lead his first practice today as the Trojans (3-2, 1-2 Pacific-12) prepare for their annual rivalry game at No. 14 Notre Dame.

Sarkisian went 12-6 at USC, where he started as an assistant coach under Pete Carroll with the program’s dominant teams of the past decade.

“This is an opportunity for Sark to get right and to get well,” Carroll, now coach of the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, said Monday. “We’re pulling for him. He’s up against some big challenges and he’s got to go ahead and take care of it. It’s not about coaching now. It’s about his personal life and getting things in order. I know he’s committed to taking the right steps to do that, and it’s hugely important for him.”

Carroll said he had communicated with Sarkisian recently.

“I’ll be there to support him,” Carroll said. “I knew him before, and [he has] a lot to offer the world. It’s been hard on him, and he’s made it hard on people around him, too. He knows that. He’s got to take the steps to take care of business now.”

Sarkisian spent five years as Washington’s head coach until 2013, when he left the Huskies for a reported fiveyear contract to return to Southern California, describing it as “a dream come true to be back in the Trojan family.”

Sarkisian never faced significant public scrutiny for alcohol use in Seattle, although his enthusiasm for nights out became part of his identity among fans and boosters. An AP review of Sarkisian’s expense reports from his years at Washington showed a steady acquisition of alcohol on his trips, ranging from mild indulgences to lavish liquor purchases, sometimes before lunch.

Washington Athletic Director Scott Woodward issued a brief statement: “It is evident that Steve is dealing with a serious personal matter and we wish him the best in facing whatever challenges lay ahead.”

Sarkisian, 41, is in the midst of a divorce from his wife, Stephanie, and he recently sold a palatial house south of Los Angeles. They have three children.

The hallowed USC football program has five AP national championships and more than a century of proud history, but it has endured turmoil for most of the past six years since Carroll left in 2009.

Haden, a former USC quarterback, is facing increasing public condemnation for his oversight of the entire athletic department, but particularly a football team in upheaval for yet another season.

After the tumultuous 3½year tenure of Lane Kiffin, who was fired in 2013, Sarkisian and his players have made several public missteps during his short tenure. Sarkisian’s coaching also received widespread scrutiny after a 17-12 loss to Washington last week dropped the preseason No. 8 team out of the AP poll.

Sarkisian