Sarkisian was the offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL) from 2017 to 2018 and at the University of Alabama from 2019 to 2020.

He began his collegiate athletic career in 1992 at the University of Southern California (USC) as a non-scholarship middle infielder on the Trojans baseball team.

Walsh left school a year early to enter the 1995 NFL draft, creating a void in the depth chart; Sarkisian accepted a scholarship with BYU in December 1994.

Sarkisian finished the season by completing 31 of 34 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns in BYU's 45–28 victory over Fresno State.

As a senior, Sarkisian opened BYU's 1996 season by passing for 536 yards and six touchdowns in the Cougars' 41–37 upset victory over Texas A&M in the Pigskin Classic.

Sarkisian was also awarded the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation's top passer, making him the seventh BYU quarterback to win the honor.

Sarkisian threw a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to lead the Cougars to a come-from-behind victory.

In January 2007, Sarkisian interviewed with the Raiders for their vacant head coaching position, but pulled himself out of the running to stay at USC.

[11] Following the completion of a winless 2008 season, the University of Washington introduced Sarkisian as its 23rd head football coach during a press conference in the Don James Center at Husky Stadium on December 8, 2008.

[15][16] Despite his public comments, Sarkisian was still considered a top candidate for the position by USC athletic director Mike Garrett.

They fell to 3–6, but finished the year on a high note with three consecutive wins and were bowl eligible for the first time since the 2002 season.

The Huskies concluded the season with a stunning 19–7 victory over #18 Nebraska in the Holiday Bowl, avenging a 56–21 blowout home loss to the Huskers in September.

With star quarterback Jake Locker departing to the NFL, many expected the Huskies to regress in the 2011 season, Sarkisian's third.

[20] Sarkisian's goal was to get USC back to its winning ways with NCAA sanctions finally ending.

Sarkisian dealt with some controversy before his first game as head coach, when defensive captain Josh Shaw told the team he suffered two high ankle sprains when he jumped from a balcony to save his drowning nephew.

Offensive coordinator Clay Helton would serve as interim head coach in Sarkisian's absence.

[24] Scott Wolf, the USC beat writer for the Los Angeles Daily News, reported on Twitter that several players smelled alcohol on Sarkisian's breath.

[29] Sarkisian filed a $30 million wrongful termination lawsuit against USC, but later agreed to move it to private arbitration.

[33] Following Lane Kiffin's departure to become the head coach at Florida Atlantic, Sarkisian was promoted to the Alabama offensive coordinator position on January 2, 2017.

On February 7, 2017, Sarkisian was hired as offensive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons, taking over for the recently departed Kyle Shanahan who left to become the head coach of the 49ers.

[35] In 2020, Sarkisian served as interim head coach for Alabama's 42–13 victory over Auburn after Nick Saban had to be quarantined due to COVID-19 protocols.

[42] In Week 2 of the 2021 season, the Longhorns were defeated 40-21 by the Arkansas Razorbacks, in the first matchup in the Arkansas–Texas football rivalry since the 2014 Texas Bowl.

[43] Though Sarkisian and the Longhorns finished the season with a disappointing 5–7 record, some bright spots included the second best offense in the Big 12 with 35.3 points per game and wide receiver Xavier Worthy receiving True Freshman All-American honors as well as being elected Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year and earning a spot on the 2021 All-Big 12 First Team.

[44] After winning vs UTSA 41–20 in front of a record crowd at home, Sarkisian suffered an upset loss in OT to Texas Tech 34–31.

After losing in the Alamo Bowl to Washington 27–20, Sarkisian's Texas Longhorns finished the 2022 season 8-5 and ranked #25 in the AP Poll, a drastic improvement over the year prior.

Succeeding thanks to an offense led by QB Quinn Ewers and a thriving defense, the Longhorns would go 5-0 before losing a nail-biter to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry 34–30.

Making the College Football Playoff as the #3 seed, Sarkisian led the Longhorns in a rematch against the Washington Huskies in the Sugar Bowl, losing in an incredibly close 37–31 game that came down to a deflected pass to the end zone by Quinn Ewers.