In a move about as stunning as the John Lynch hire in San Francisco, word is coming out now that the Atlanta Falcons are set to hire Steve Sarkisian as the new offensive coordinator to replace Kyle Shanahan.
Source confirms that Steve Sarkisian is all but certain to be named the #Falcons next offensive coordinator. Announcement forthcoming.
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) February 7, 2017
Sarkisian had been out of football since being dismissed by USC in the wake of alcohol-related incidents in 2015 before landing a gig with Alabama this past fall. He replaced Lane Kiffen for the College Football Playoff Championship Game and was set to remain in that position for the upcoming 2017 season.
But now he’s apparently headed to Atlanta to pick up where Shanahan left off as the guiding light for one of the league’s most potent offensive attacks.
That Sarkisian has the chops to coordinate an offense really isn’t in question. He led highly successful offenses at Washington and USC and is a former NFL quarterback coach, so he is well versed in that environment.
It remains to be seen if Sarkisian is emotionally and mentally stable enough to last long term in the NFL, being less than two years removed from his meltdown at USC. Time will tell if this turns out to be a brilliant hire or something else. Another coach that has been rumored as a potential Shanahan replacement is Chip Kelly, but that doesn’t appear to be in the cards now.