quote:
After Steve Sarkisian left the University of Alabama to become the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, a report surfaced stating his relationship with Nick Saban had fractured because of differences with the team’s offensive philosophy.

During a conference call welcoming him to the Falcons, Sarkisian didn’t entertain the thought that the relationship between him and Saban had deteriorated. Sarkisian said Saban wanted him to remain as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.

“Obviously, he would have loved for me to stay, but he was understanding,” Sarkisian said during the media conference. “I know Coach Saban and the University of Alabama is in a good place, and they’ll hire a good coordinator and still win a lot of games.”

Sarkisian lasted just one game at Alabama as the team’s offensive coordinator after Lane Kiffin left for the Florida Atlantic head coach opening in January. Before replacing Kiffin, Sarkisian was an offensive analyst but didn’t play a huge role in the team’s lead-up to the SEC Championship Game and national title run.

In Atlanta, he will replace Kyle Shanahan, who was named San Francisco 49ers head coach shortly after the Super Bowl. And, he’ll get to work under Falcons coach Dan Quinn, who showed he has no problem handing play-calling to his offensive coordinator and letting him call the shots. That may not have been the case at Alabama under Saban.

Still, Sarkisian said he enjoyed the time he spent in Tuscaloosa.

“I couldn’t be more grateful to Coach Saban and everyone at the University of Alabama,” Sarkisian said. “It’s a tremendous organization. He’s not only a great coach, but he’s also a great man. I’m fortunate that I was able to work with him for the past six months. I’m fortunate to call him a friend. I really appreciate all that he did for me. I was really excited and looking forward to this upcoming season. They’ve got a heck of a football team with some really young and talented players.”

The new Atlanta offensive coordinator said it was hard to leave Alabama because he had started to build relationships with the players on campus, but he said he couldn’t pass up the opportunity to coach a team that was so close to beating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

“It was really hard (to leave Alabama),” Sarkisian said. “With all the things you mention and Coach Saban with the opportunity he gave me and what the future looks like there, it was a difficult one. In this industry, you have to make those tough decisions.”

This post was edited on 2/9/17 at 4:05 pm

2 ...

Report Post

Posted by crimsontater

Trenton GA

Member since Dec 2009

3732 posts

Posted on 2/9/17 at 4:00 pm to TidalSurge1

i think we can look at what saban has done with the defense and get a good picture of what he wants on offense.

he runs a hybrid type of defense from when he first got here. he still has the big bad d linemen but the ends and backers are a bit smaller and much faster as are the db's.

i'm guessing he wants a hybrid offense with the ability to go uptempo but be better at smashmouth ball control when needed. which just for me, i think would be a beautiful offense, but thats just me.

0 ...

Report Post

Posted by TidalSurge1

Ft Walton Beach

Member since Sep 2016

36467 posts

Posted on 2/9/17 at 8:30 pm to TidalSurge1

247Sports | ALABAMA OC OPENING
Travis Haney | Feb 9, 2017

quote:
George Godsey and Mark Helfrich are the names 247Sports has heard most often associated with the Alabama offensive coordinator opening.

The 38-year-old Godsey was expected to interview for the job Wednesday, according to BamaOnLine. He has a couple of things working for him, our industry sources are saying: One is his background working on Bill O’Brien and Bill Belichick’s NFL offensive staffs the past few years. Belichick’s endorsement would surely be a ringing one considering Nick Saban’s friendship with the ultra-successful Patriots coach.

Godsey, a former Georgia Tech quarterback, also once worked on a staff at UCF with Tide offensive line coach Brent Key.

Godsey was let go by Houston after this past season - but one source said he didn’t think Saban would judge Godsey too harshly based on the Texans’ quarterback situation.

We’re told by sources that Helfrich is not as strong of a candidate, though he does have an extensive background as a quarterback developer.

The bulk of that experience was in the Pac-12, just as was the case with Lane Kiffin and Steve Sarkisian. That may work against Helfrich in this case, with one source indicating that Saban is considering gravitating back toward a more pro-style-centric play-caller.

The sources say it’s also possible that recently promoted assistant Mike Locksley could move into the play-caller role. If that does happen, Saban would likely still be on the hunt for a quarterbacks coach.

Locksley was promoted from an analyst position to a full-time assistant when Mario Cristobal left for Oregon. On Jan. 20, he was named co-OC with Sarkisian.

We’ve been told by those close to the program that FSU assistant Tim Brewster is under consideration for the staff’s other opening, vacated by Billy Napier taking the Arizona State OC position.

One source we spoke with believed Napier was ultimately passed over for the Bama OC role, prompting his decision to leave and take a play-calling gig. Those close to the program say Saban had known for a week or two that Sarkisian would take the Falcons job after signing day.

CHIP KELLY
Even before reportedly declining interest Wednesday, multiple sources were telling us that Chip Kelly to Alabama was a “fantasy.”

“Those egos in one room?” one industry source said, laughing. “I can’t even imagine.”

Another source thought there was enough mutual respect that Kelly and Saban at least talked about the job — and that they left the door open for Kelly to visit Alabama and exchange ideas with Saban.

He said Saban will “meet with anyone” if he thinks it’ll help his program stay sharp. Kelly has a similar penchant for consultation.

“They both love to tinker, maybe more than any coaches I’ve been around,” one SEC coach said last month, adding that Saban is not credited enough with how he’s been willing to adapt and evolve without losing balance.

The coach used Charlie Strong at Texas as an example of change causing unintended consequences.

“He repaired the offense only to kind of lose the defense,” he said. “(Saban) always has a feel of what to change and what not to change, what’s too much change.”