The University of Alabama announced Wednesday afternoon that iconic head football coach Nick Saban has tested positive for COVID-19, and Saban said in a statement that offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian — a standout quarterback at BYU in the mid-1990s — will “oversee preparations” as the second-ranked Crimson Tide get ready for a huge game Saturday night against No. 3 Georgia.
Saban, 68, said in the statement that he found out the result earlier in the afternoon and left work immediately and that he was not feeling any symptoms. Alabama athletic director Greg Byrne also had a positive test result come back Wednesday, the school announced.
Sarkisian, 46, is in his second stint on the Crimson Tide coaching staff. He has been there since being hired as offensive coordinator in January of 2019. From 2009-2013, he was head coach at Washington, and then he was head coach at USC from 2013-2015 before his first Alabama stint in 2016.
Saban becomes the sixth Football Bowl Subdivision head coach to test positive for COVID-19. Toledo’s Jason Candle, UCLA’s Chip Kelly, Florida State’s Mike Norvell, Arizona’s Kevin Sumlin and Kansas’ Les Miles also have announced positive tests..