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Doctor critical of USC's handling of Sarkisian

USC’s handling of Coach Steve Sarkisian’s situation drew criticism Thursday from a doctor who treats patients with addiction problems.

Dr. Howard Samuels, founder of the The Hills treatment center in Hollywood, said based on Sarkisian’s behavior Saturday night and public comments this week, it was unwise to have Sarkisian seek treatment and coach football at the same time.

“For him to be drunk (in public) is a huge problem,” Samuels said. “For him to say he mixed medication with alcohol, that is a bigger red light. He probably has a substance abuse problem.”

Samuels said only certain drugs mixed with alcohol cause a person to act inebriated.