Tennessee’s Kiffin pissing off fellow SEC coaches
Lane Kiffin hasn’t even held the Tennessee head-coaching job for three months and already he’s managed to tick off fellow SEC coaches Urban Meyer (Florida), Nick Saban (Alabama), Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Mark Richt (Georgia).
That kind of preaching-to-the-choir comment fit perfectly into the rhetoric of his first press conference. I doubt it got much of a rise in Gainesville, since the Gators have owned the Vols in recent seasons.
What really irked Florida Coach Urban Meyer was that Kiffin continued to attempt to hire — unsuccessfully, as it turned out — receivers coach Billy Gonzales while the Gators were preparing for the national championship game.
More recently, Kiffin has gotten on the nerves of Alabama Coach Nick Saban to the extent that Saban is asking players who already have committed to the Crimson Tide not to take official visits to UT.
This is in response to Kiffin’s hiring of Lance Thompson off Saban’s staff. Thompson, considered Alabama’s best recruiter, got a big raise to jump to the Vols just two weeks before signing day.
Considering that UT is a combined 1-6 since Meyer and Saban arrived at Florida and Alabama, you have to take your victories wherever you can find them.And don’t forget that Kiffin also has tugged on Steve Spurrier’s visor. First Kiffin hired his brother-in-law, David Reaves, off the South Carolina staff. Then Kiffin and Spurrier exchanged comments in the press about recruiting.
While we’re at it, Kiffin also threw a $400,000 offer at super recruiter Rodney Garner in an attempt to lure him off Mark Richt’s staff at Georgia. Garner chose to stay at Georgia.
For those keeping score, Kiffin has kicked sand at Meyer, Saban, Spurrier and Richt. It’s no coincidence that those are the coaches of the four most important opponents on UT’s schedule every year. Those are also four programs that the Vols must match in recruiting if they are to regain relevance in the SEC.
Obviously this is all part of Kiffin’s plan to breathe a little life into a Tennessee program that could use a shot in the arm. Is he going about it the right way? Probably not, although that won’t matter if he wins.
If pissing off your fellow conference coaches motivates the program and players, then go for it. But if nothing changes and the Vols get flattened by all of these teams next year, then Kiffin is just going to look like a pompous ass who got what was coming to him.
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After what he’s said and done, he’d better win. But I don’t think he’s going to.
Lean back and enjoy watching Little Lane punk himself. Can’t wait to see UT’s three head coaches on the sideline this season.
Elain Kiffin will be an assistant coach somewhere outside of the SEC in three years. The recruits going to UT next week will have to go through a minumum of two head coaches before they graduate. To bad the Vols did not wait to hire Gruden he could have actually won at UT.
Kiffin knows that with this staff combined with the TN tradition of winning (top 5 all time) and TN being one of the most prestigous programs in all of College Football, all it needs is a little energy back, and it will be back whipping up on the rest of the SEC.
GO VOLS
Not big SEC fan, but the fact that Urban Meyer (Florida), Nick Saban (Alabama), Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) and Mark Richt (Georgia) have all gotten flustered by this guy before he even has a team on the grass, says they are worried. Watch out for TN, they could be back in the BCS race soon with this guy.
its funny how everyone around the sec is freaking out over kiffin talking to recruits that are committed elswhere…..i think some people are worried the VOLS might get good and might get good fast.
I stopped reading after the first paragraph. if I wanted to read about this kind of fluff, I would read Teen magazine. However, it was completely ignored that Spurrier, Saban, and Urban-Meyer are some of the biggest antagonists in college football. UM called 3 times because he got his feelings hurt the year before, Saban drives all of his coaches away because he has short man syndrome, and Spurrier was notorious for being condescending to everyone. Unfortunately for Spurrier you have to win to be condescending and he is no longer quite the man he used to be. This article is based on a fairly ridiculous premise..
Worry will make an old man out of you fast.Meyer,Saban,Richt and Spurrier could be heading for the nursing home real soon.Get ready for the return of the Big Orange Nation!
I’ll begin to worry, when Saban, Meyer, Richt & Spurrier begin to like Killin.
Dear Voltards,
No one is “freaking out” over Kiffen’s comments. We’re just pointing out his arrogance and immaturity. He hasn’t coached one game yet for you guys, but he’s already an embarrassment to UT and to the SEC. Fulmer has class and earned the respect of your rivals, but you forced him out, and in return you’re stuck with this idiot. Good luck with your multimillion dollar mistake.
tennessee fans are idiots just like their coach. kiffin hasnt won a game let alone been in the college game long enough to know anything about urban meyer. do we need to point out what urban did to georgia last year after the dawgs ran out on the field two years ago? i dont think you need to give urban meyer anymore reason to beat the living piss out of an opponent. but he did. and since your going to gainseville next year, enjoy the long flight home after the ass whooping. btw, tebow is returning if yall didnt get the message. better luck next year, since yall cant find a way to beat him. (or urban)
I got a feeling that Kiffin has just masterminded his first lackluster season. I’m thinking those coaches will inspire their teams to open up a can of whoopass…
this dbag has managed to find common ground for meyer and richt to meet on. he has only missed crazy ass les miles thus far. he may win a few, but rest assured that those who are capable of beating him, are going to keep the throttle down. get ready for a long season of ups and downs vol fans, there are going to be some huge losses for you this fall. I wouldnt take the drive to the swamp, it’ll be a long ride home from the first time the vols face a ranked team this season, that just so happen to be the defending nat’l champs who are most likely being punished by charlie strong right now, making the hatred grow from a deep deep place that will not be unleashed until you vol’s come to town.
thats pretty sad when you have to piss other programs off…to try to start winning. Thats why i hate tennessee…they have the worst fans! Hope everyone in the sec beats the vols!!Put these people where they belong!!