Steve Sarkisian suing USC for more than $30 due to alcohol disability

Former USC Trojans head coach Steve Sarkisian is suing the school for $30 million stemming from his firing in October.

The Steve Sarkisian saga continues with the latest chapter of the former USC head coach suing his former employer after he was fired in October and is seeking more than $30 million because USC fired him over his alcoholism instead of getting him help, according to TMZ.

Sarkisian was fired on October 12 after showing up to practice unfit to work one day earlier. It was initially believed Sarkisian would take a leave of absence to seek treatment for his alcoholism, but USC athletic director Pat Haden fired him and that’s where Sarkisian thinks he was done wrong.

Under California law, alcoholism is recognized as a disability and firing someone because of their disability is against the law, according to Sarkisian’s lawyer Alan Loewinsohn,

According to the report from TMZ, Sarkisian is suing for breach of contract, breach of implied covenant of good faith, failure to accommodate, discrimination on the basis of disability, retaliation, violation of confidentiality of medical info and more.

Sarkisian said he completed a stint in rehab and is ready to get back into coaching, but suing his former employer and blaming them for not helping him, when he wasn’t helping himself, isn’t going to help his cause get another head coaching job. Perhaps he can work his way back up the coaching ladder and prove himself in a coordinator role or position coach, but I’d bet he’s not on a sideline next season.

Next: 30 Best College Football Coaches of All-Time

USC went 5-2 under interim head coach Clay Helton after Sarkisian’s firing and Helton was given a five-year deal to be the team’s head coach before playing in the Pac-12 Championship Game.