Sarkisian, Ex-Husky Football Coach, Has Heart Surgery in Alabama

The former Husky leader had a cardio issue corrected that was found in an Alabama physical examination.

Steve Sarkisian, the University of Washington football coach in 2009-2013, underwent heart surgery last week to correct a cardiovascular issue revealed during an annual physical examination as a member of the Alabama coaching staff. 

The Crimson Tide offensive coordinator, Sarkisian had a necessary procedure performed on July 2 in Birmingham, Alabama, the school said in a statement.

"The Alabama football coach staff participates in an annual executive physical," the statement read. "During Coach Sarkisian's physical last week, it was determined that he needed a procedure to correct a congenital cardiovascular anomaly before it became an issue. Coach Sarkisian underwent a successful procedure this past Thursday in Birmingham. He is back home in Tuscaloosa and is expected to make a full recovery."

Sarkisian recently made scholarship offers to a pair of Seattle-area football recruits, Malik Agbo and Josh Conerly, both offensive linemen. 

The school also has been a college football hotbed for the novel coronavirus (see video with SI's Pat Forde), which does not bode well for the Alabama offensive leader and his recovery.

Sarkisian, 46, has dealt with health issues since he resigned from Washington to become head coach at USC. In 2015, the Los Angeles school fired him midway through his second season for erratic behavior. 

The termination prompted the coach to sue the school for $30 million for wrongful termination, stating that USC didn't provide him with rehabilitative support to deal with his substance-abuse issues. In the filings, he acknowledged he was alcoholic. 

In 2017, Sarkisian, while serving as the Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator, publicly addressed his drinking issues for the first time in a conference call with media members.

"It's not something that is necessarily in the past," he said. "It's something I have to work on every single day, and I do work on it every single day. It's important to me, and it's important to who I am as a person. It's a piece of me, this disease of alcoholism."

There's no indication his heart issues were related to his prior dependency issues.

It wasn't clear how long Sarkisian will be sidelined from coaching following his recent surgery.