Turmoil followed Steve Sarkisian into a routine meeting almost two months ago.
The USC head football coach's anxiety, depression and alcohol use outside of work spiked in the three days after his team's upset loss to the University of Washington, according to a lawsuit filed Monday by Sarkisian.
He had been drinking the night before a team meeting Oct. 11 and didn't sleep well. Shortly before the 11 a.m. gathering, Sarkisian took unspecified prescription medication. The coach didn't seem himself.
Barely 24 hours later, USC Athletic Director Pat Haden fired Sarkisian via email and touched off a tumultuous series of events that continued when the coach sued the school over his dismissal.