The decision on a new football coach for the University of Southern California came down to a gut check for athletic director Pat Haden.
Advised by university president Max Nikias to follow his gut, Haden hired Steve Sarkisian away from the University of Washington to take over as the Trojans’ head coach.
“At the end of the day, that’s what I did,” Haden said of following Nikias’ advice.
“In Steve we get a coach who really knows USC, its culture, its traditions,” Haden said in Sarkisian’s introductory press conference. “I believe he is uniquely positioned to have the smoothest, fastest and cleanest transition for our program.”
Sarkisian was an assistant for seven seasons at USC before leaving in 2009 to take the head coaching job at Washington. In five seasons with the Huskies, he compiled a 34-29 overall record and a 24-21 mark in the Pac-12. Washington (8-4) finished third in the Pac-12 North this season.
“We will not shy away from expectations,” Sarkisian said. “We will embrace them. We are here to win championships. We’re going to recruit players with the talent and desire to do something special.
“We are not rebuilding. ‘Rebuilding’ is not a word around here.”
Sarkisian, 39, replaces interim coach Ed Orgeron, who was one of five finalists for the permanent job, according to Haden. Orgeron resigned when Haden announced the hiring of Sarkisian.
Orgeron took over when the Trojans were 3-2 overall, 0-2 in the Pac-12, and he led them to six consecutive Pac-12 wins surrounding a loss to Notre Dame. USC’s conference winning streak ended with a 35-14 loss to UCLA on Saturday.
“This has been the hardest few days of my life,” Haden said, “and I’ve had some hard days, but this was hard because I have such respect for what Coach O has meant. …
“As you can imagine, Ed was disappointed at not being named head coach. Ed wants to be a head coach. He chose to leave. I respect that and I told him I will help him any way I can reach that dream.”
Orgeron replaced Lane Kiffin, who lost seven of his final 11 games at USC and went 25-18 during his three-plus-year tenure.
Sarkisian acknowledged that his return was not universally hailed by the university’s fan base.
“The idea of what the perception is on the outside is not that concerning to me,” Sarkisian said. “What concerns me is in the locker room, in the weight room.
“At the end of the day, then we can evaluate a year, two, or three down the road. Let’s evaluate the hire a few years down the road. If we’re beating UCLA and Notre Dame and competing for national championships, it’s a good one. If we’re not, it’s not.”