"He didn't want to do it": Steve Sarkisian recalls getting his idea shot down by $80M worth Nick Saban during the 2020 Iron Bowl

Steve Sarkisian filled in for Nick Saban in head coaching duties during the 2020 Iron Bowl. The Alabama head coach was quarantined due to COVID-19 protocols, resulting in his offensive coordinator serving as interim head coach in the age-old in-state rivalry game against Auburn.

In an interview with Josh Pate released on Wednesday, Sarkisian made it known that he attempted to convince Saban, who is worth $80 million according to Celebrity Net Worth, to start the game in an unconventional play. However, despite the trust Saban had in him, he was not open to kicking off the game in that risky way.

“I tried to talk Coach Saban into an onside kick to start the game,” Sarkisian said (Timestamp 3:29). He didn't want to do it. Anyhow, we won, so it worked out.”

Alabama attempted to start the Iron Bowl with an onside kick in 2014. However, Adam Griffith, who was reportedly dealing with back issues, kicked the ball out of bounds, marking an awful start to the game. Saban wasn't open to allowing Sarkisian to try something like that again.

It turned out to be a great game for Steve Sarkisian in his only head coaching experience in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide secured a dominant 42-13 victory at the Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mac Jones completed 18-of-26 passes for 302 yards and five touchdowns.

Steve Sarkisian explains how it feels to fill in for Nick Saban

Without a doubt, it was a rare opportunity to fill in for Nick Saban in a game. The COVID-19 outbreak presented this to Steve Sarkisian on a golden platter, and he made good use of it as he got the big win. He reflected on what the opportunity meant a few weeks after that.

“Obviously, it was a unique scenario,” Sarkisian said in December 2020. “And it was one that I just wanted to do the best job I could do for the university, for our football program, for Coach Saban. And ultimately, it was about the players.

“The guys played their tails off in that game. They played really well in all three phases, and I just kind of did my part the best I could. And again, I didn’t want to lose sight of what my initial role always is, and that’s to have our offense ready to play and to call plays.”

The Iron Bowl game served as a test drive for Steve Sarkisian for his next head coaching role. At the end of that season, Sarkisian was hired as the new head coach of Texas, replacing Tom Herman. He has gone on to enjoy success at Texas, leading the Longhorns to back-to-back College Football Playoff berths.