Steve Sarkisian comes to the UW with a wealth of experience as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator. His string of success is nearly unprecedented as, during his time at USC, he has coached two Heisman Trophy winners and overseen one of the nation's most consistent and dominant offenses.

Sarkisian spent 2007 and 2008 as the Trojans' assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He had also previously served as assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach (2005-06), quarterbacks coach (2002-03) and as an offensive assistant (2001) at USC, for a total of seven seasons there. During his seven seasons as a member of the Trojans' staff, the team has posted a combined 74-15 record. As offensive coordinator, his record was 22-3.

Aside from his various roles at USC, Sarkisian, 34, also spent one season as quarterbacks coach for the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and as QBs coach at El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., in 2000, his first coaching job.

A standout quarterback at BYU, Sarkisian actually faced his new team in Husky Stadium, on Sept. 14, 1996. That day, his Cougars suffered their only loss in a 14-1 season, falling to the Huskies, 29-17. Sarkisian completed 23-of-35 passes for 279 yards, no interceptions and two touchdowns.

The 2008 Trojans have continued to post impressive offensive statistics. Entering last weekend, they ranked No. 16 in the nation in total offense with 450.8 yards per game and No. 13 in scoring offense with 38.4 points per game. USC quarterback Mark Sanchez entered the week as the Pac-10 leader in both passing efficiency and total offense.

In 2007, USC averaged 434.9 yards per game and scored an average of 32.6 points en route to an 11-2 overall record and a 49-17 win over Illinois in the Rose Bowl. The Trojans finished with the No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press top 25 poll. USC quarterback John David Booty, despite missing several games with injury, was drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2008 NFL draft.

In 2006, with Sarkisian as quarterbacks coach, Booty earned first-team All-Pac-10, leading the Pac-10 in passing efficiency and total offense. That Trojan team posted an 11-2 reocrd and closed the season with a 32-18 victory over Michigan in the Rose Bowl and a No. 4 ranking in the final AP poll.

In 2005, quarterback Matt Leinart won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting, was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien, Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards and was a first-team All-America selection. Under Sarkisian's tutelege, Leinart set 16 USC records (including 11 Pac-10 marks and two NCAA records). The Arizona Cardinals made Leinart the 10th pick of the 2006 NFL draft. USC's 4,157 passing yards in 2005 set a school record and the Trojans finished fifth in the in passing offense with 319.8 yards per game.

The 2005 USC team went 12-1, outscoring opponents 638-297 for the season. The Trojans posted a 12-1 record before falling to Texas 41-38 in a thrilling national title game in the Rose Bowl, finishing with a No. 2 final ranking.

Sarkisian spent the 2004 season as the quarterbacks coach with the Oakland Raiders. His quarterbacks passed for more than 4,000 yards in 2004 as Oakland ranked eighth in passing in the NFL.

In 2003 as quarterbacks coach at USC, Sarkisian helped Leinart earn first-team All-American and the Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year Award. Leinart also finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting while setting Pac-10 season records for TD passes (35) and consecutive passes without an interception (212). Leinart also set a school record with the highest pass efficiency rating in USC history (163.2). USC coasted to the first of two straight national championships, going 12-1. The Trojans beat Michigan, 28-14, in the Rose Bowl.

In 2002, quarterback Carson Palmer won the Heisman Trophy and Unitas Award en route to setting the Pac-10 career records for passing yards and total offense. Palmer was selected as the overall No. 1 pick in the 2003 draft, selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.

That season, USC went 11-2 and capped the season with a 38-17 victory over third-ranked Iowa in the Orange Bowl to finish as the nation's No. 4-ranked team.

As an offensive assistant in 2001, in Pete Carroll's first season in charge at USC, Sarkisian helped the team to a 6-6 overall record and a trip to the Las Vegas Bowl.

Sarkisian spent the 2000 season as the quarterbacks coach at El Camino Junior College in Torrance (Calif.). Warriors quarterback Robert Hodge earned All- American honors that season and El Camino played in the CHIPs For Kids Bowl.

Sarkisian starred at the quarterback position at the prep, collegiate and pro levels. After his standout career at Brigham Young University, he was played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League for three seasons (1997-99).

He had a record-setting two-year (1995-96) career at BYU, playing under legendary coach Lavell Edwards. Sarkisian completed 549-of-824 passes (66.6 percent) for 7,755 yards and 55 touchdowns in his career.

His 162.0 career passing efficiency rating ranked third on the all-time NCAA list. As a senior in 1996, he led the nation in passing efficiency (173.6, No. 7 all-time) as the Western Athletic Conference champion Cougars went 14-1 and won the 1997 Cotton Bowl.

He was the WAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1996, earned second-team All-America honors and played in the East-West Shrine Game and Hula Bowl. As a junior in 1995, he earned all-conference honors and led BYU to the WAC title.

Sarkisian transferred to BYU from El Camino Junior College, where he played two seasons (1993-94). He was a first-team Junior College All-America selection as a sophomore and earned all-conference honors in 1993 as a freshman. He also played baseball at El Camino in 1993. He originally enrolled at USC as a baseball player, spending the fall of 1992 on the Trojans' roster before transferring.

Sarkisian was a standout football and baseball player at West Torrance (Calif.) High. He earned his bachelor's degree in sociology from BYU in 1997 after receiving his associate's degree in general studies from El Camino in 1994.

Steve Sarkisian was born March 8, 1974. He and his wife, Stephanie, have two daughters, Ashley and Taylor, and a son, Brady.