# Drunkesian on leave of absence from USC **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [October 12, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439 "2015-10-12T16:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/1 "2015-10-12T16:59:57Z")
Man this guy has a problem. Drunk at a booster dinner and now coming out that he was drunk during the ASU game and drunk during meetings yesterday. And to top it off, UW says they’re not surprised that all of this is coming out. My question is if he if fired for being a drunkard especially during games and team activities, does he get any payoff or is his contract terminated immediately. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/2 "2015-10-12T17:21:22Z")
Alcohol use is very common in the football world; the issue people care about is losing games. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/3 "2015-10-12T18:52:19Z")
Info here [http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/pac12/2015/10/11/usc-coach-steve-sarkisian-leave-of-absence-pat-haden/73787066/](http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/pac12/2015/10/11/usc-coach-steve-sarkisian-leave-of-absence-pat-haden/73787066/) ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/4 "2015-10-12T20:56:42Z")
He’s now fired. > **[Story Archives - USC Athletics](https://usctrojans.com/archives)** > > The official news stories archives for the University of Southern California Trojans Since no one forced the alcohol down his throat, he brought this on himself. He’s still making more than I will for being a losing drunk ex coach. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/5 "2015-10-13T00:27:22Z")
We shoulda kept Coach O to begin with. :mad: Back to the drawing board. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/6 "2015-10-13T00:38:07Z")
> [@](#): > > After careful consideration of what is in the best interest of the university and our student-athletes,\*\* I have made the decision to terminate Steve Sarkisian\*\*, effective immediately. Man that’s tough love. Fire the guy if you need to, but having him executed seems harsh. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/7 "2015-10-13T02:46:25Z")
First the cheater and then the drunk. Which Trojan could possibly follow? OJ Simpson? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/8 "2015-10-13T03:04:49Z")
You guys are talking like Sarkisian is a well known drunk. Any stories that you can point to from the past? ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/9 "2015-10-13T03:08:07Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > You guys are talking like Sarkisian is a well known drunk. Any stories that you can point to from the past? Read any of the stories…he was a known drunk at Washington. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/10 "2015-10-13T03:11:09Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Read any of the stories…he was a known drunk at Washington. None of the stories I have seen mention this. Can you please link one or two? ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/11 "2015-10-13T03:28:21Z")
> [@wolfman](#): > > Man that’s tough love. Fire the guy if you need to, but having him executed seems harsh. Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there well played, **wolfman**! I had to look it up because I couldn’t remember the coach’s name, but USC just got rid of Lane Kiffin 2 years ago by calling him off the team bus at the airport and firing him. So that’s 2 notorious firings in under 24 months for the Trojans. Are there larger issues with the school’s football program that have led to these 2 high profile incidents? ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/12 "2015-10-13T03:30:15Z")
> [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > None of the stories I have seen mention this. Can you please link one or two? Here’s the [L.A. Times](http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84681848/). ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/13 "2015-10-13T12:49:41Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Are there larger issues with the school’s football program that have led to these 2 high profile incidents? Looks like the problem is Pat Haden, doesn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/14 "2015-10-13T13:15:08Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Looks like the problem is Pat Haden, doesn’t it? Pretty much. He is a smart man and well respected at USC. However, he is a terrible AD and needs to be replaced by somebody who knows the actual job. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/15 "2015-10-13T14:14:01Z")
Haden was not AD when Kiffin was hired, but I believe his input was considered. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/16 "2015-10-13T14:14:45Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Looks like the problem is Pat Haden, doesn’t it? Just how? He took the appropriate steps the first time Sark’s alcoholism became obvious. What do you think he should have done differently? > [@Ike\_Witt](#): > > Pretty much. He is a smart man and well respected at USC. However, he is a terrible AD and needs to be replaced by somebody who knows the actual job. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/17 "2015-10-13T15:08:19Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > Just how? He took the appropriate steps the first time Sark’s alcoholism became obvious. What do you think he should have done differently? Not hired him. It wasn’t a secret. And not fired Orgeron, and not hired Kiffin. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/18 "2015-10-13T18:40:43Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > Here’s the [L.A. Times](http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-84681848/). :eek: Anybody that would spend $5 for a Coors Lite _deserves_ to be fired and probably should seek mental health care! ---
**Author:** ![Thing\_Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@Thing\_Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thing_Fish)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2015, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/drunkesian-on-leave-of-absence-from-usc/734439/19 "2015-10-13T19:22:30Z")
Can’t find a linkable cite, but apparently Mique Juarez has become the third Trojan recruit, and the first 5-star, to decommit. **happy dance** \*