The turmoil surrounding USC’s football team deepened Monday with the firing of Steve Sarkisian, a troubled coach who promised before the season he would seek professional help to determine if he had a drinking problem.
The dismissal came a day after the university placed the Pete Carroll protege on indefinite leave for a string of incidents — he slurred his words and shouted an expletive at a preseason rally, acted strangely during a recent game and, finally, didn’t show up for a practice.
Sarkisian has entered a rehabilitation program, a close friend said.
Now the pressure is on Athletic Director Pat Haden, a former star quarterback at the school who has been criticized for not fully vetting Sarkisian before hiring him two years ago and for not taking more decisive action when the coach’s behavior began to erode.
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