It’s was a long day covering the roller-coaster ride that USC went on yesterday over at CFT. But the shocking hire of Lane Kiffin away from Tennessee certainly has some Irish implications.
As the day goes on, I’ll have more to say, but here are a few links to some early opinions I wrote at CFT, and later I’ll try and tell you what the hiring most likely means for the rivalry.
You can’t help but be impressed by Mike Garrett’s ability to pull a rabbit from a hat, although Kiffin is far from a sure bet.
Both the Trojans and the Irish replaced their head coaches after disappointing seasons. Here are some applicable bullet-points for their replacements.
Notre Dame replacement:
* National Coach of the Year
* Left previous job after three seasons
* Career .748 winning percentage (all levels)
* 19 years of head coaching experience (all levels)
* Undefeated in 2009
Southern Cal replacement:
* Youngest coach in Major college football
* Left previous job after one season
* Career .363 winning percentage (all levels)
* 3 years of head coaching experience (all levels)
* 7-6 in 2009
Kiffin brought with him an impressive supporting staff, part of the reason why he’s been able to land on his feet in the collegiate ranks after being dismissed 20 games into his NFL coaching career.
But for the first time since the 1990s, the Irish will be able to claim a head-coaching advantage in the greatest intersectional rivalry in college sports.
-
- TLNDMA - Jan 13, 2010 at 5:53 AM
-
“Lane Kiffin will try to destroy the Tenn. program, like he tried to destroy the Raiders”. I thought Al Davis was just a crazy ole coot when he said that, guess not.
Good luck SC.
-
- Jake - Jan 13, 2010 at 7:24 AM
-
This was a terrible hire, and reeks of desperation on SC’s part. Kiffin has certainly failed with the Raiders, although some of that can be laid on Mr Leisure Suit. However his tenure with Tennessee was full of missteps, not the least running his mouth without engaging his brain. Oh by the way let us not forget all the “issues” with the NCAA. Just what S,C. needed. Of course there is all the promises made to his now hapless team. Seems the wheel has turned on our USC friends who tirelessly told us of BK’s “lies”.
Garret needed a blockbuster name to save his skin and he didn’t get it.
-
- ugetwutuask4 - Jan 13, 2010 at 11:31 AM
-
Yeah COACH K is a liar right? Where is everyone who said he made a bad decision when he left Cinnci before the bowl game, at now? I hate it when coaches (ie: KIFFIN) make statements like, “I left the place a lot better off than when I first got here.” now look at the Rocky Mt. top campus. FIGHT’N IRISH!!!
P.S. god bless HAITI OUR PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU!
-
- Ryan - Jan 13, 2010 at 1:01 PM
-
I have a friend who goes to sc, and after BK was hired, he absolutely ripped ND for hiring a “liar.” After this news broke last night, I texted him basically saying, well I guess you don’t have any room to bag on Kelly anymore, and he completely denied ever doing so. I nearly fell over laughing.
-
- StephenOfTroy - Jan 13, 2010 at 2:20 PM
-
I was surprised to learn this morning that USC hired Lane Kiffin. I had the state right, Tennessee, but I figured it would be Jeff Fisher of the Titans, not Lane Kiffin of the Vols.
I like Fisher and kind of thought the timing was right for him to come back home. But I guess Chris Johnson is just too good to tear him away (I won’t say anything about Vince Young since if I do I’m likely to spill my orange juice in a fit of apoplectic rage.).
I don’t know of any promises Kiffin made to his players, so until further notice The Liar is still the Irish guy. I don’t know of any lies Kiffin told, but I’m quite familiar with a whopper from Kelly. So are you all.
We’ll see who has the coaching advantage; I like Kiffin’s resume a lot more than Kelly’s, for obvious reasons.
One thing is for sure after reading this article. When you fail to beat USC once again, at least now you cannot blame it on a coaching disadvantage, assuming you think Kelly is a better coach. Keith Arnold went out of his way to make it look like Kiffin is a poor coach. He was in fact the youngest NFL coach, and he worked for an absolute disaster in Al Davis. He coached one season at Tennessee and made some mistakes but did more things right.
I’m enthusiastic about him coming back to SC. College is about turnover, new talent, and competition. We’ll miss Pete Carroll but I make no excuses. We will line up against everyone and compete, and I expect to win. I certainly expect SC to beat Notre Dame and UCLA, just on God’s divine will.
FIGHT ON, and GO IRISH!
-
- sharkey - Jan 13, 2010 at 3:59 PM
-
Perfect! Just perfect!
I can’t think of any coach in the nation who is a more perfect hire for USC’s long standing tradition of blatant NCAA violations than Lane Kiffen. As an Irish fan I couldnt be any happier for the Vols (good riddance), or for USC ( you asked for it).
I am more than confident Kiffen will outdo his 7 violations in one year, digging a deeper hole of NCAA and Pac 10 sanctions fot thr Trojans.
I’d bet Norm Chow will be the new HC in just a few years.
-
- Jake - Jan 13, 2010 at 4:29 PM
-
I have never seen anyone who could sugar coat S.C’s “incidences” like you. Do you really think were going to join you drinking this cool aid?
Let me remark on a couple of your statements which convince me your attempting some damage control of this utter fiasco. The first being “I don’t know of any promises Kiffin made to his players”. What is a contract if not a promise of sort? However, I will give you that one and move on to a term which his players are using, that being “The Betrayer”. If you chose to gloss over this, best check some local video feeds where angry (furious is a better word)students and players took to the streets, surrounded the football facilities and went so far as to start a small fire. Police were called as the crowd chanted obscenities and other terms of endearment at Kiffin. Kiffin, the stout heart that he is, gave a five minute press conference allowing no questions, and fled to the depths of the building. Most of his players were so upset they left before he even concluded his “remarks”
Second. You like his resume more than Kelly’s??? What resume? He lasted one year with the Raiders and had a horrible record. I Believe Davis called him the L word, as in Liar. Hired at Tennessee for God knows what reason, he went 7-6 . That’s hardly a resume. Truthfully we don’t know what he can do as a H.C.
However, I should say that his resume does include 6 secondary NCAA violations,(of which he stated he was proud), and lets not forger the “Hostesses” that were sent out to lure recruits to Tennessee.
He left Tennessee a scorched earth and he doesn’t care. So while you persist in calling Kelly “The Liar” lets keep in mind that “The Betrayer” doesn’t come to you as a chaste bride
-
- kejji - Jan 13, 2010 at 7:24 PM
-
Yeah Kiffin is such a scofflaw…his violations consisted of mentioning names of prospects on twitter..mentioning names of prospects on a radio program, and simulating game day experience while prospects are on campus.
Tennessee should be put on double-secret probation for ten years and lose 10 scholarships because of this travesty!
-
- kejji - Jan 13, 2010 at 7:34 PM
-
Wow Keith, based on the strength of your bullet points… I guess with the horrible pick ‘SC made with their replacement coach and the excellent job Notre Dame did with their replacement coach, a Notre Dame victory against USC next year is pretty much all wrapped up.
-
- kejji - Jan 13, 2010 at 7:41 PM
-
Actually his press conference was about 40 seconds and not 5 minutes, and it is only natural that the students would call him names for leaving, it shows they thought he was doing a good job and felt hurt, kind of reminds one of the nasty names the students and players called Kelly when he bailed on them before the most important game in school history.
-
- Jake - Jan 13, 2010 at 9:13 PM
-
There you go again. Trying to bring this back to Kelly. Smoke and mirrors once more.
Sorry 5 minutes was a gift (what the press gave him). 40 seconds really shows his class huh?
Yeah I suppose you can say it’s only natural to be betrayed and then “lets blame Kelly” again.
Stay on script will you. Kiffen betrayed the trust of his players, administration, and fans. This has nothing to do with Kelly.
-
- kejji - Jan 13, 2010 at 9:27 PM
-
Blame kelly? what are you talking about? Did he not leave his team in haste just before their biggest game??
You blame Kiffin for the thugs that acted the fool…those fans in Tennessee feel just the same…for the same reasons, as those fans in Cincinnati…the comparison is valid.
-
- kejji - Jan 13, 2010 at 10:41 PM
-
Jake wrote: Kiffen betrayed the trust of his players, administration, and fans. This has nothing to do with Kelly. ******************************************
Really? this from Bleacher Reporter:
LYING TO PLAYERS: In a poll of more than 350 Bleacher Reporter readers, mostly Notre Dame fans, 75 percent said “a coach should never lie to his players.”
Kelly mislead the media, the administration, and most of all, the Bearcats players that won two Big East Championships for him.
**************************************************************
Now tell me again how this has nothing to do with Kelly?
-
- sharkey - Jan 13, 2010 at 11:03 PM
-
Minor violations, but violations just the same and blatant at that. Add to it the reprimands of the SEC and near severe fines he almost cost UT, his thumbing his nose at the NCAA, running his mouth – all in only one season! It really starts to pile up.
Respectfully, aren’t you and other Trojan fans at least a little concerned? I tend to agree with Jake, that this was a panic, knee jerk hire, that they should have taken their time even if they lost a couple recruits. Anyway, good luck with him not getting into trouble and embarassing USC.
-
- Jake - Jan 14, 2010 at 7:52 AM
-
When I suggested you stay on script, I meant with Troy Boy’s post to which I was responding to in the first place. Kelly wasn’t in the conversation except for the constant “liar” reference which he would manage to get in if we were talking about moon rocks.
Your devilishly hard to have a conversation with when you constantly go off topic.
You and Stephen have been on a moral crusade every since Kelly was hired and I was simply pointing out you now have your own yoke to wear. I suggest (as my dog trainer friend says) “drop it, leave it.”
You really have nothing much to say except to act as Stephen’s fire brigade defending his bias essays. When defending becomes impossible you attack posters with bits of inconsequential minutia. I suggest you return to Bleacher Fan and find more insignificant facts such as the 40 second press conference (you sat there with a stop watch didn’t you?) or the 75% poll you trotted out. You can then add them to kejji’s almanac of useless knowledge.
-
- Jennifer - Jan 14, 2010 at 11:43 AM
-
“LET WHOEVER EARNS THE PALM BEAR IT.”
Hmmmm. Seems the elite at USC who made the whacky Kiffin hire forgot to read their OWN SCHOOL MOTTO.
-
- seo - Jan 14, 2010 at 8:29 PM
-
Would anyone please recommend a good website to find somewhere reasonable in Spain. Should I use the well known online companies or is there an better method to organise with the owners direct? Thanks, Lisa
-
- Jan - Jan 15, 2010 at 10:38 PM
-
Way off college football, but here’s a recommendation: Check out the website for Grand Circle Travel and the trip called Classic Costa del Sol. It’s apt style (including kitchenette) living in the south of Spain (Torremolinos) right on the Med. Studio apts and one bedroom apts are both available at very reasonable prices in the off season. Grand Circle buys out the entire inventory of apts during the non prime season and makes them available to their clientele as a loss leader. Some retirees in northern U.S. report that they return year after year and it costs them less than going to Florida for the winter.
-
- kejji - Jan 16, 2010 at 12:16 AM
-
congratulations Jan..you were the first one to be taken in by the man of 100 names.
-
- Jake - Jan 17, 2010 at 1:27 PM
-
Ah, lurking around the Irish blog at midnight finally gave you a chance to take a cheap shot at a fan.
Don’t know about you but I’ve got better things to do at that hour.
Most of the spam came from .com sites and BTW did you know there is a kejji.com? Advertises “Items you need for your life”. You might want to go there and get one so you have one.
-
- SEO - Jan 17, 2010 at 5:44 PM
-
Great Post. I’ll be back for your next piece
-
- Jennifer - Jan 18, 2010 at 12:28 PM
-
Touche!
-
- kejji - Jan 18, 2010 at 11:24 PM
-
Midnight you say??….you do realize that the eastern time is 3 hours later than the pacific coast time zone don’t you? maybe not.
see when it is midnight in the eastern time zone it is 9:00 p.m. in the west.
Now I know you want to get back to answering questions by seo/SEO/Gsrmin 305 GPS review/apartment rent/benches..and all the other names this guy has..how gullible can you be??
Did you know there is a website called lessthanjake.com?
You might want to visit it and see if someone is really less than you.
-
- Jake - Jan 19, 2010 at 6:42 AM
-
Since the post had a time stamp of midnight I assumed it was midnight. I, while good with tarot cards, cannot “see where you live” as in PTZ.
Gotta give me that one just on presented facts. After all there is presumed East coast bias so I’d win that point on ESPN.
I knew those were spamdexing as I indicated to you in the previous post. My one reply was a nudge at Robertg so lets not make more of that than it was.
So glad to have you back but your sites still bigger than mine.
-
- Queen Air Mattress - Jan 31, 2010 at 12:01 AM
-
I would like to thank you for the endeavors you have made in publishing this article. I am trusting the same best work from you in the future as well. In fact your fanciful writing abilities has inspired me to start my own blog now. Genuinely the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a fine example of it.
