Steve Sarkisian’s return to Tuscaloosa this January resembled his departure from here two years ago. It was quiet and understated, which was perhaps a tacit acknowledgment of his unAlabamalike 0-1 record as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.

For the last six months, Sarkisian has barely opened his mouth in public, operating behind the scenes ever since picking up right where he left off that night back in 2017 when Alabama squandered a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter and lost to Clemson in the final second of the national championship game.

If Sarkisian remains haunted by that heart-stopping defeat, he didn’t show any lingering trauma Saturday during his first news conference since he rejoined the program last winter.

“It’s great to be back,” he said with a relaxed smile. “I was fortunate to have this opportunity presented, and just looking forward to it. Looking forward to working with Coach Saban again; great mentor of mine, someone you can obviously learn a great deal from. The players, our entire coaching staff. So excited about the opportunity. It’s good to get going again.”

After two seasons in the NFL shepherding the Atlanta Falcons’ offense with mixed results, Sarkisian has an opportunity to make amends for the awkward debut at Alabama that materialized a week after the sudden firing of his predecessor, Lane Kiffin.

In that stinging setback against Clemson, only one of Alabama’s 17 possessions lasted more than three minutes and the Tide converted two of its 15 third-down opportunities as former quarterback Jalen Hurts failed to complete half of his pass attempts and the defense was hung out to dry.

In these parts, an unfavorable perception of Sarkisian crystallized that evening and he hasn’t been able to chip away at it yet. But Sarkisian looks rejuvenated with new ideas from his time in the pros and noticeable giddiness about the prospect of working with a collection of talent that was in the process of being assembled during his previous run with the Tide, when most of his days were spent in an analyst role.

The coach who used to be married to the a West Coast system with a loaded backfield is now comfortable installing run-pass options, four-wideout sets, spread principles and a more malleable playbook.

“The NFL is a matchup league and how do you find those matchups and create those matchups that are advantageous to you, so hopefully we can bring some of those things back here now that I’m back at Alabama,” he said.

But the Tide’s newest OC doesn’t plan to rock the boat too much, pointing out he has “a good feel for the system” at a program where the guts of the offense have remained intact even as the head has changed from Kiffin to Sarkisian to Brian Daboll to Mike Locksley and back to Sarkisian in a span of four seasons.

“The game of football is ultimately about being physical up front, being able to run the football, taking care of the football, and scoring when you have opportunities to score,” he added. “Those things will never change.”

It’s why Nick Saban hired Sarkisian for the same position twice, finding Sarkisian’s philosophy compatible with his own while investing faith in a coach who hasn’t achieved great success in bottom-line results since his days as a USC assistant with Pete Carroll during the aughts.

As Sarkisian has been buffeted by criticism from all sides in recent years, no one has stuck up for him more than his current boss.

“I always had a lot of respect for Sark,” Saban said. “He’s very well-organized and does a good job with the players. He’s a good teacher. He’s got a really good personality. He’s easy to work with. He does a great job of managing the staff….Sark did a really good job when he was here before, and I have been very pleased with the job that he has done since he’s been here.”

The mission Saban tasked Sarkisian with accomplishing seems easy: Keep the offense humming.

“He knows the weapons we have,” wideout Henry Ruggs III said, “and the things that we can do.”

Last season, Alabama finished third in the FBS in scoring, averaging 45.6 points per game. The pieces are in place to replicate that level of production. The star quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is back. So too is a receiver corps populated with dynamic playmakers.

“What I can do to help, to do my part to put us in the best position to be successful?” Sarkisian asked rhetorically. “That’s kind of my mindset.”

In the land of second chances, Sarkisian appears at peace with his situation, knowing he has another opportunity to get it right with the Crimson Tide. Even more so he seems excited about the chance to make some noise in Tuscaloosa for once.

Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin