Report: Steve Sarkisian en route to treatment when he was fired
USC athletic director Pat Haden said he was unable to get in touch with former football coach Steve Sarkisian when he made the decision to fire Sarkisian on Monday. It's reportedly because Sarkisian was on the way to a treatment facility via plane and unable to respond to Haden.
ESPN's Joe Schad said Sarkisian was going to the treatment facility when Haden was attempting to contact him and Sarkisian learned of his dismissal when he saw emails and text messages about it.
Steve Sarkisian didn’t answer Pat Haden’s calls b/c he was on a plane, en route to an out-of-state treatment facility
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 14, 2015
Steve Sarkisian is expected to spend at least 30 days at the treatment facility
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 14, 2015
Steve Sarkisian was fired by USC for cause and the school believes it won’t have to pay the remaining 3+ years of his five-year deal
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 14, 2015
Steve Sarkisian learned he had been fired when he read an e-mail and text messages from friends expressing sympathy.
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) October 14, 2015
Haden said Tuesday that he also tried three different numbers for Sarkisian's agent, called his sister and eventually got in touch with Sarkisian's brother-in-law. Schad's tweets don't clarify where Sarkisian's agent would have been at the time that he was fired.
Haden also said that he still hadn't spoken with Sarkisian, but that he looked forward to doing so. He said Sarkisian stayed at USC after his alcohol and medication-fueled conduct at a USC booster event in August because he believed Sarkisian deserved a second chance. Sarkisian was fired, Haden said, because he failed to live up to the expectations put in place after the August event.
Offensive coordinator Clay Helton is once again USC's interim coach. He served as the Trojans' interim coach in the Las Vegas Bowl before Sarkisian was hired prior to the 2014 season.
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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
