By John Sarianides

Falcons coach Dan Quinn wasted no time in hiring Kyle Shanahan’s replacement yesterday when he hired Alabama offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian as his new offensive coordinator. Speculation was rampant that Quinn was going to hire former 49ers coach Chip Kelly but Quinn opted for Sarkisian.

Sarkisian spent last season as an offensive analyst for Alabama before being promoted to offensive coordinator for the national championship game. Sarkisian was fired from USC in 2015 after acknowledging he had a drinking problem and admitting that he showed up to practices and meetings intoxicated.

Critics of the hiring will say that Sarkisian hasn’t paid his dues to society and doesn’t deserve to be given another opportunity. I think that line of thinking is garbage. Sarkisian has gotten treatment and is on the road to recovery. He is a good man and a good coach. He doesn’t deserve to be punished for a lengthy period of time. He has earned the trust of people and that is why he continually gets opportunities.

Sarkisian was a quarterback at BYU so he understands the position and how to coach it. He and Matt Ryan should hit it off instantly. Sark is young, energetic and employs a quarterback friendly system that is based on West Coast principals. The Falcons shouldn’t skip a beat offensively next season because the system will be similar to the one they ran under Shanahan.

Sarkisian and Quinn have known each other for a long time, so there a relationship there. Both men are also close with Pete Carroll as well. I am sure Carroll strongly advocated for Sark’s hiring in Atlanta.

The Falcons needed to hire a coach with experience running a pro-style offense. Sarkisian fits the bill. He will do a great job. He is a much better fit for Atlanta than Chip Kelly would have been. That is what people should be talking about today. Instead, they are talking about whether or not Sarkisian deserves another chance and that is ridiculous.