SPORTSbyBROOKS.com shares the news that new soon-to-be Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin is already mixed up in a recruiting scandal involving Steve Spurrier and South Carolina.

Spurrier is claiming that Kiffin’s contact with recruit Jarvis Giles on Sunday violates NCAA rules because Kiffin hadn’t yet passed a required certification test that allows contact with recruits. Giles had pulled out of a verbal commitment to the Vols after Fulmer’s departure was announced, and he was reportedly deciding between Nebraska and…yes, South Carolina.

Kiffin’s contact with Giles on Sunday is clear. What’s not clear is whether or not Kiffin was technically UT’s coach at the time and whether NCAA rules allowed such a phone call. GO VOLS XTRA’s Dave Hooker had a seemingly harmless story about Giles’ conversation with Kiffin on Sunday:

“He already called me this morning at 7 o’clock,” the 6-foot, 175-pound tailback from Gaither High School in Tampa, Fla., said Sunday afternoon. “He said ‘I sat down and watched a little bit of your film online. From what I’ve seen, you’re pretty impressive.’

“He said he was going to sit down and watch some more tonight and see how I can fit into this offense.”

Spurrier saw these comments and wondered how exactly Kiffin had signed a contract and become certified to contact recruits in such a short period of time. THE STATE of Columbia, S.C., reports that it all happened awfully fast. Spurrier of course didn’t resist the opportunity to get in a verbal jab:

“You’re supposed to have passed the NCAA test and be on board, I think. But maybe he was just calling him as an interested observer,” Spurrier said today, laughing. “I don’t know. But technically to be able to recruit you’re supposed to pass the NCAA test.

“I know when I was hired, after the press conference I took the test to qualify you to be a recruiter. I hadn’t taken it in three or four years. At that time I could start making calls. I don’t know if he was permitted to make that call or not. You’ll have to ask somebody else.”

Kiffin said today during his first press conference that he had taken the test in time. A UT spokesman told THE STATE that Kiffin signed his contract on Saturday (which is a little odd, since Fulmer was still coaching the Vols that day while they played Kentucky).

Further muddying the Giles situation is the fact that David Reaves, the recruiting coordinator at South Carolina since 2006 (in addition to duties as quarterbacks coach), just resigned from his post with the Gamecocks…to join Kiffin’s staff. It just so happens that Reaves is Kiffin’s brother-in-law. In his old job, Reaves was likely heavily involved in efforts to get Giles to Columbia.

Welcome back to the wonderful world of college football, Lane.

ESPN.com is reporting that former Oakland Raiders’ head coach Lane Kiffin is heading to the University of Tennessee.

Kiffin, 33, will be making his college head coaching debut in succeeding Phillip Fulmer, who will coach his last game for the Vols on Saturday.

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton denied reports on Wednesday that Kiffin had been offered a contract. But Kiffin has been at the forefront of the Vols’ search for some time.

Part of the holdup is that Tennessee didn’t want to do anything officially this week that would take away from Fulmer’s final game Saturday against Kentucky. Fulmer was fired by Hamilton on Nov. 2 and allowed to finish out the season. He’s been at Tennessee as a player, assistant coach and head coach for 35 years.

The university has dubbed Saturday’s game “Phillip Fulmer Appreciation Day” at Neyland Stadium in celebration of his 17-year tenure.

One of the big draws with Kiffin was the staff that he’ll potentially be able to put together. He’s talked with his father, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, about joining him at Tennessee. The elder Kiffin is considered one of the foremost defensive minds in football.

Outside of drawing recruits with his NFL resume, I’m not sure Kiffin is a great fit at Tennessee. But the Vols are in major need of an offensive facelift, which is supposed to be (read: supposed to be) Kiffin’s specialty.

How huge would it be if Lane could convince papa Monte to come up from Tampa and join him? Monte Kiffin’s defenses are always so underrated and he’s easily one of the best schemers in the NFL. It’s doubtful he would leave the Bucs, but one would have to imagine that the temptation to join his son would be strong.