Chapter 6: Rock Bottom
After passing over Ed Orgeron for the head coach position, USC turned to Steve Sarkisian, one of Pete Carroll’s protégés. But as the 2014 season got under way, players began to notice signs of Sarkisian’s drinking. His behavior spiraled into a series of increasingly public incidents, culminating in his firing. In this episode, we go inside the unraveling of Sarkisian’s tenure and hear from the athletes who experienced it firsthand. We also examine the drinking culture that has been pervasive in the world of college football coaching.
House of Troy is a new podcast from LA Times Studios tracing the rise and fall of USC football, from coach Pete Carroll’s back-to-back national titles in the 2000s, to the Reggie Bush scandal, to the series of missteps that followed. It’ll feature exclusive interviews with coaches, players, and USC officials who saw it all up close — and shine new light on how a college football dynasty came undone.
