jatfly
AKA:Burgraider
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Commentary: Sarkisian chose family over ego
By Mike Waldner
Sports columnist
You know, you never do know.
Ask Steve Sarkisian.
Ask him about how very close he came to becoming coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Click back to January. Sarkisian had just returned home on an evening flight from Oakland with Lane Kiffin and Mark Jackson.
Well, not quite home.
They went straight to Shark's Cove in Manhattan Beach for their we're-going-to-the-NFL celebration.
Sarkisian was all but signed sealed and delivered as the new coach of the Raiders. That would happen in a little more than 12 hours. Kiffin would be his offensive coordinator. Jackson would be director of football development.
Sarkisian was up at 4:30 the next morning. He was out of the house in about half an hour on his way to USC, where he was assistant head football coach and quarterback coach.
If Stephanie, his wife, had been up, what would she have said about his career path?
"She thought I was going to take the job," he said.
He was, until he took his thought process beyond the natural pride he felt about becoming a head coach in the NFL at the tender age of 32.
Davis' reaction was predictably colorful. At the same time, he probed about Kiffin, a year younger than Sarkisian who would end up the Raiders coach with Jackson on his staff.
By Mike Waldner
Sports columnist
You know, you never do know.
Ask Steve Sarkisian.
Ask him about how very close he came to becoming coach of the Oakland Raiders.
Click back to January. Sarkisian had just returned home on an evening flight from Oakland with Lane Kiffin and Mark Jackson.
Well, not quite home.
They went straight to Shark's Cove in Manhattan Beach for their we're-going-to-the-NFL celebration.
Sarkisian was all but signed sealed and delivered as the new coach of the Raiders. That would happen in a little more than 12 hours. Kiffin would be his offensive coordinator. Jackson would be director of football development.
Sarkisian was up at 4:30 the next morning. He was out of the house in about half an hour on his way to USC, where he was assistant head football coach and quarterback coach.
If Stephanie, his wife, had been up, what would she have said about his career path?
"She thought I was going to take the job," he said.
He was, until he took his thought process beyond the natural pride he felt about becoming a head coach in the NFL at the tender age of 32.
Davis' reaction was predictably colorful. At the same time, he probed about Kiffin, a year younger than Sarkisian who would end up the Raiders coach with Jackson on his staff.