Lane Kiffin to Tennessee

[Husker_Power]

Sources: Tennessee could announce deal with Kiffin on Monday

 

Tennessee has reached an agreement with former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin to take over as the Volunteers' next coach, with an announcement planned for Monday, barring any snags, according to multiple sources.

 

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. Kiffin was 5-15 in a year and a half with the Oakland Raiders before being fired earlier this season by team owner Al Davis.

 

Kiffin, the youngest head coach in NFL history when he was hired by the Raiders, earned $2 million per year in Oakland. His salary at Tennessee is expected to exceed that. 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.

 

Kiffin will become only the fifth head coach at Tennessee in the last 45 years. He had stints as offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator at USC and shared play-calling duties with quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian during his two-year run as offensive coordinator with the Trojans in 2005 and 2006.

 

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[admo]

I just dont get this. What exactly is so impressive about Lane? From my understanding he was the OC at USC for a year after Norm Chow already established the prolific offense there. He stunk in his first head coaching gig and got fired in less than two years. Now he's the new Vols coach? I mean, what gives?

 

Weiss at Notre Dame, Callahan at NU, now Kiffin at Tennessee. These guys took over major football programs with not much previous head coaching experience or very limited success.

 

I like Tennessee some, and hope it works out for them.

[HuskerKing130]

Don't forget Mike Sherman - Texas A&M will be a continual bottomfeeder in the Big XII South under him.

[Cali Sker (in Boston)]

I just dont get this. What exactly is so impressive about Lane? From my understanding he was the OC at USC for a year after Norm Chow already established the prolific offense there. He stunk in his first head coaching gig and got fired in less than two years. Now he's the new Vols coach? I mean, what gives?

 

Weiss at Notre Dame, Callahan at NU, now Kiffin at Tennessee. These guys took over major football programs with not much previous head coaching experience or very limited success.

 

I like Tennessee some, and hope it works out for them.

 

Kinda like Bo.

 

I think they made this move with an eye towards recruiting - kinda tough down there with Saban and Meyer and Miles and Spurrier and Richt. I hear Kiffin's a mad recruiter...

 

And to be fair, his first head coaching gig was under Al Davis. Sort of difficult to judge there. I mean, he was working under a crazy person...

[LouisianaHuskerFan]

I just dont get this. What exactly is so impressive about Lane? From my understanding he was the OC at USC for a year after Norm Chow already established the prolific offense there. He stunk in his first head coaching gig and got fired in less than two years. Now he's the new Vols coach? I mean, what gives?

 

Weiss at Notre Dame, Callahan at NU, now Kiffin at Tennessee. These guys took over major football programs with not much previous head coaching experience or very limited success.

 

I like Tennessee some, and hope it works out for them.

 

 

I'm with you there. Lane seems to be a really nice guy but I'm not sure about him being a HC. I hope it works out for him and the Vols. Good luck to them.

[BIGREDFAN_in_OMAHA]

It appears that his Dad Monte will be joining his staff:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3735102

[LouisianaHuskerFan]

It appears that his Dad Monte will be joining his staff:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3735102

 

 

Good hire. Monte is one hell of a DC.