Tennessee’s new football coach will be Lane Kiffin, according to several media outlets.
AP: Tennessee, Kiffin reach tentative deal
News Sentinel: Kiffin likely to become Vols’ head coach Monday
ESPN.com: Tennessee could announce deal with Kiffin on Monday
Kiffin was 5-15 coaching the Raiders.
Kiffin, 33, has broken back into the headlines this week when it was reported that he was the clear frontrunner and that a deal was offered to him. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton denied such an offer was made. But on Friday, the tight-lipped secret search for Phillip Fulmer’s replacement became clearer.
Kiffin will become Tennessee’s fifth coach in the last 45 years. He was fired as the Oakland Raiders head coach after going 5-15 in a year and a half with the struggling NFL franchise.
Now, instead of who will be the Vols’ next coach, the question becomes: Is this the right hire?
Time will tell. And that’s likely to be a short time, as in 12 months. But on the surface, it’s a very appealing deal. Kiffin has access to bring in a staff like no other in college football. His father, Monte, is a defensive genius with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Word is that either Monte or former Ole Miss coach Ed Orgeron, a recruiting mastermind and defensive specialist, will be brought in as a the supporting cast. Offensively, Kiffin has ties with former Nebraska coach Bill Callahan and former UT assistant Doug Marrone — both of whom are currently coaching in the pros.
Drawback: Kiffin is only 33, and he’s never been a college head coach. But let’s face it, the guy’s not scared of walking into a fire. He coached at Oakland for crying out loud.
Positive: Kiffin is only 33, and he’s never been a college head coach. Traditional isn’t going to beat Florida or LSU or Georgia. Kiffin isn’t traditional, and his BlackBerry is like an NFL phone book.
Sure, this will be a risky hire for Tennessee. But any hire was going to be a risky hire. When you fill the shoes of a 17-year head coach who’s had a whopping two losing seasons, that’s life. So as I’ve noted in the past, the Tennessee brass could have taken a risk with a conservative safe hire like UNC’s Butch Davis or Cincinnati’s Brian Kelly, or the shot-callers could have really taken a risk and gone to the extreme.
Fans have crowed for years about the conservative nature of Fulmer and his staff. With Kiffin, it’s an extreme that changes the landscape of Tennessee football. And I like what I see … for now.
I’m ready!