USC hires Lane Kiffin to replace Pete Carroll
In rather surprising news, USC has tabbed former Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin to fill the position vacated by Pete Carroll, who signed a contract over the weekend to coach the Seattle Seahawks.
From ESPN.com:
“We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC,” Garrett said in a statement. “I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I’m confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect.”
He was a member of the USC coaching staff from 2001 to ’06, first as wide receivers coach and then as offensive coordinator under Carroll.
Kiffin will bring his father and defensive coordinator, Monte Kiffin, and assistant head coach and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron to Southern California with him.
The hiring is surprising, but what isn’t surprising is the way Kiffin left Tennessee after just one season. The fact of the matter is that college coaches come and go as they please. As long as there is more money and a bigger opportunity to be had, coaches will always be a threat to leave.
That said, it never ceases to amaze me that coaches can walk into a recruit’s home and talk about commitment, loyalty and family, and then leave a program at the drop of a hat. There is something incredible wrong with the process, but it has become such a norm that nobody is surprised by it anymore. As the clichéd response goes: It is what it is.
I wonder if some in Knoxville are secretly glad to see Kiffin go. He rubbed a lot of people the wrong way and never seemed like a great fit for UT. Considering he helped Carroll make USC’s program a success earlier this decade, it stands to reason that he will be a much better fit in Southern Cal, but we’ll see. It’ll also be exciting to see what Monte Kiffin can do with the talent he’ll have on the defensive side of the ball at SC.
This is pure conjecture on my part, but if I’m venturing a guess as to whom will replace Kiffin at Tennessee, I’d say Jon Gruden might be a great fit. He was a graduate assistant there from 1986 to 1987 and also met his wife at UT as well. If he wanted to take a crack at the collegiate level, Knoxville might just be a solid fit.
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Posted in: College Football
Tags: Jon Gruden, Lane Kiffin, Monte Kiffin, Pete Carroll, USC Trojans
Was kinda surprised about the move, but should we really be surprised about anything in college sports anymore. He ruffled alot of feathers but did do a good job, big loss for UT
At least he didn’t bail on an undefeated team waiting to go to a BCS bowl.
Here we go!!
good riddance, gruden would be nice to have but anyone is better than lane.
Wow – I’m shocked USC would hire this guy.
I don’t think he was a bad hire for Tennessee, as the program was down and they needed a spark.
But USC?? This seems like an unnecessary risk. What happened with Del Rio? He would have been a great choice.
His utter disregard for NCAA rules should fit well at USC.
Lane my man!!! That’s soooo cool, you know? Coming to the ‘SC bro!!! Now you can chill and relax, in the ‘SC we don’t get sick man! I got younger, man, not like the Urban dude in the FL who almost kicked the bucket man! And here we’re not as tight at the Saban! We’re cool and chill! Here before you know it, you’ll also have the song girls, Will Ferrell and my homey Snoop chillin’ at your crib y’all!!!!!!
Anthony: not to dissappointed with Lane leaving, I’m sure this was a dream job for him and the money is probably alot better… but Monte and Ed going with him hits hard… Jon Gruden would be a welcomed addition as would a David Cutliffe sighting (hate to hit the Dukies like that!)…
T Bone: Did you know I would show up here? lol… I guess this is what I get for being ok with the Kelly deal huh?
Anyone else have any ideas of possible talks on coaches. There is really no one out there floating that draws my attention, other than some guys under contract… Here we go, time to hit up rivals and watch as TN recruits decommit…
I also heard that Will Muschamp is a canidate… That would be a crazy hire for the fact that he will jump ship to TX as soon as Mack Brown says bye-bye…
Sorry misspelled Cutcliffe earlier…
Jay G – you’re a Tennessee fan too?! You’re all over the place, my man!
As far as any other candidates, I have one name:
Bobby…Petrino.
He’s always looking for a way out of his current situation.
Anthony S: Well I’m from TN so yes I am a die hard Vols fan first… Didn’t start cheering for Notre Dame until I watched them destroy my dads beloved Mountaineers in 89… Sadly they haven’t won a NC since I started cheering for them, so people can blame me if they want…
Bobby Petrino??? I feel that he would definately be out of his league in TN… I love the high powered offense that he had in Louisville, but I don’t think it’s an offense that can win in the SEC… unless he can find another Teebo or Charlie Ward… and if you think my college teams are everywhere, you need to remember that TN didn’t get a pro football team till 1998… lol
JayG…I knew you’d take the bait. Agree, they better get a name guy to keep their recruits or they’ll be rebuilding for years.
Quick question for anyone out there… I keep seeing Pete Carroll with “2” NC??? Are they counting 03 when LSU was the NC’s? If so does that mean when Chris Petersen leaves Boise State that he will have “2” NC’s on his resume for the 07 and 09 Fiesta Bowl victories that lead them to undefeated seasons??? Just lloking for cllarification on that one…
JayG – yes, they’re counting 2003 when USC won the Rose Bowl (which was actually in 2004). LSU won the Coaches Poll, while USC won the AP.
Boise wasn’t voted by either poll as the No. 1 team those years, so no, Petersen doesn’t have 2 NC’s on his resume.
And I’ve got to ask – who is your favorite NFL team(s)?!
Let it be known that Anthony Stalter is a Falcons fan, a San Francisco Giants fan and a San Antonio Spurs fan, and he’s getting on Jay G for being all over the place!
Damn it, John! I was thisclose from writing, “This question is coming from a guy that likes the Falcons, Giants and Spurs.”
I should have known that you would be the one to chime in like this.
T Bone: The recruits are dropping! I heard that Orgeron is calling kids in the locker room! Oh well…
Anthony S: Falcons, Browns, and Titans… I didn’t have a TN Team for the longest of times! That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it! I am consistent in cheering for all teams from Atlanta, Cleveland, and TN teams that didn’t want to show up till my 20’s… Makes sense, didn’t realize that USC won the AP that year… I was assuming that it was because they were undefeated… Oh yeah, did I mention that I’m a die hard Dukies fan who is very upset because I am missing a game at Cameron Indoor for the first time in six years!
JeyG…you’re in the triangle? Same here…Cary. So we have a common enemy…UNC!
JayG – as John pointed out, I’m a diehard Falcons fan.
When I was growing up, I loved watching Will Clark, Deion Sanders and David Robinson play. So as I got older and got more familiar with their teams, I became a fan of the SF Giants, Falcons and Spurs.
Always good to chat sports with a fellow Falcon fan!
T Bone: Yes, UNC is the enemy… I love KY fans! My mother is originally from there so her side of the family hates me… They just can’t forget about Laettner… I don’t bring up the 98 tournament but whatever…
Anthony S: There is two of us! It’s nice to meet another Falcons fan… Most just look at me like I’m stupid when they see me in my Ryan jersey… Three outstanding players! Clark is in my top three favorite 1st baseman all time… Because of Deion I actually cheered for the 49ers one year, could never bring myself to cheer for Dallas though… Are you a southpaw?
I was secretly hoping that Skip was going to show up in Knoxville, but just found out that he’s going to USF…
JayG,
Yeah, I’m from Chicago so I get those same looks. Everyone out here can’t fathom why I’m not a Bear fan, so I have to tell them the story of how I pretended to be Deion in the backyard growing up.I think I was Deion for Halloween a couple times too, haha.
Hopefully our Falcons will continue to build the defense and Ryan will continue to improve. I have all the faith in the world in Smitty and Dimitroff. Dimitroff’s first draft was a thing of beauty (Ryan, Lofton, DeCoud, Baker, Douglas, Bierman in the late rounds), so hopefully he can continue that success.
And I’m a righty…
Anthony S: I still have my Deion Jersey and head band! I was so mad in junior high when I was moved to strong safety, what’s a man gotta do to play corner?
Yes, yes, yes… Coach Smith and Dimitroff is doing outstanding all around… I hope we keep Norwood, but with the way Snelling came on I think he’s gone to free agency… I hate that Jamal was a bust but that was b4 S and D… and Gonzalez was a brilliant move!
Dude! I was moved to strong safety my sophomore year! Haha…
And you still have your Deion head band?! I’m jealous…
Oh man…I think I just threw up in my mouth a little. Sanders is Michael Vick with a little more personality and fewer dogs. One dimensional player who was great at his one dimension.
Not a hall of famer in my book…my hall of fame DB’s actually made contact.
Anthony S: Yes headband is still rocking the memorabilia wall, but I wouldn’t recommend wearing it!
T-Bone: BOOOO! I hope you spat that stuff out afterwards! So why do you have to bring up old shit? lol… Personally I think Deion redefined the position by not making much contact and still making receivers look like fools… He made that position look good…