Lane Kiffin to USC

[KronoRed]

I think signing day should be moved back as well, and there should be an NCAA rule that coaches cannot interview for other positions until their current teams season is complete, regular season + bowl game. If you violate the rule, the coach is suspended for 1 year, and the program that interviews them loses schollys. Coaches campainging for new jobs during the regular season needs to stop.

I like it, but I'd actually move signing day up so it coincides with the end of the football season, recruiting is already annoyingly too long.

[WVRed]

Judging by this article, I will be surprised if it is anybody but David Cutcliffe.

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4825513

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Will Muschamp, Texas defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting, has turned down a lucrative offer to be Tennessee's new coach, sources close to the situation told ESPN.com.

Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton continued to work toward having a coach in place by this weekend, and one of the candidates the Vols are zeroing in on now is Duke coach David Cutcliffe, who is a former Tennessee offensive coordinator.

Sources told ESPN.com that Cutcliffe has talked with Tennessee officials, although he's not the only candidate the Vols are considering.

Lane Kiffin left Tennessee to take the USC job Tuesday evening after only one season in Knoxville.

Air Force's Troy Calhoun was on Tennessee's list, but the coach released a statement through the university Thursday that read, "We look forward to coaching and being a part of the Air Force Academy team both on and off the field in 2010." Calhoun was one of the Vols' finalists when Kiffin was hired.

Louisiana Tech's Derek Dooley also is on Tennessee's list as is Temple coach Al Golden.

Tennessee made a hard push for Muschamp and made it clear that money wasn't an issue. But in the end, Muschamp believed it was best for him to stay at Texas, where he's already contractually in line to replace Mack Brown when Brown retires.

"I'm happy at Texas and plan to be here for a long time," Muschamp said in a statement issued through a school spokesperson Wednesday night.

At the time, Muschamp did not rule out the possibility of leaving Austin for Knoxville, but sources told ESPN.com on Thursday that the Vols had indeed turned their attention away from Muschamp and were focusing on other candidates.

With the recruiting period going live again on Sunday, the Vols are working feverishly to have a new coach in place by then.

Kippy Brown, in his third stint at Tennessee, has been named the Vols' interim coach. Brown on Wednesday said he's been told that he also would be considered for the permanent head-coaching job.

[Hoosier Red]

It's not a bad idea. The musical chairs that is going on with coaches these days is getting to be ridicilous.

I think signing day should be moved back as well, and there should be an NCAA rule that coaches cannot interview for other positions until their current teams season is complete, regular season + bowl game. If you violate the rule, the coach is suspended for 1 year, and the program that interviews them loses schollys. Coaches campainging for new jobs during the regular season needs to stop.

I agree with moving the signing day up. Or at least offer an early signing date. Maybe allow recruits out of the early signing if the coach leaves.

[Newport Red]

I don't really understand why this makes Kiffen worse than any other coach.

On the December 2008 day he was introduced as Tennessee's head coach, Kiffin told reporters: "I want the Tennessee family to know this: This is what I'm going to give you. I'm rolling my sleeves up and going to work. I'm not promising you how many wins, how many championships. I can't do that ... but I can tell you this right now: No one is going to outwork us. No one is going to outwork me as a head coach and no one is going to outwork our staff that we put together. That's the promise I'm giving you, the wins will come after that

All indications are this is correct. He worked his tail off for UT for the one year. It's not like he took a giant signing bonus and then the next day said "well my work is done. I think I'll go play some golf."

How long should a coach stay at a university to prove himself loyal.

With the way he described Kiffen, he should be happy he's gone. The last 12 months have been gruesome?

Vol Nation has a serious bruised ego right now.

[Joseph]

With the way he described Kiffen, he should be happy he's gone. The last 12 months have been gruesome?

Vol Nation has a serious bruised ego right now.

And it should have one. UT is elite in football and womens basketball both. Lanes little press conference calling UT one of the best 15 or so jobs in America was again bordering on insulting to the state and disrespectful to the program. There are a handful of programs that are in that elite class UT is one of them. Yes, so is USC for that matter, but the way Kiffin handled this make Brian Kelly look like a diplomat in the way he left UC.

[WVRed]

And it should have one. UT is elite in football and womens basketball both. Lanes little press conference calling UT one of the best 15 or so jobs in America was again bordering on insulting to the state and disrespectful to the program. There are a handful of programs that are in that elite class UT is one of them. Yes, so is USC for that matter, but the way Kiffin handled this make Brian Kelly look like a diplomat in the way he left UC.

I'm far from a Tennessee fan, but I will always say their football fans are on par with UK when it comes to basketball. The expectations are eerily similar for both programs, whether each side wants to admit it or not. If John Calipari had did this at Kentucky, the fan reaction would be the same in Lexington as it is in Knoxville right now.

I do think though that Mike Hamilton should be held accountable though. He forced Fulmer out, hired Kiffin, watched Kiffin leave, and is essentially going to replace Fulmer with a former assistant. Add the arrests from both the football and basketball teams and it really makes me wonder why heads haven't started to roll.

[Joseph]

I'm far from a Tennessee fan, but I will always say their football fans are on par with UK when it comes to basketball. The expectations are eerily similar for both programs, whether each side wants to admit it or not. If John Calipari had did this at Kentucky, the fan reaction would be the same in Lexington as it is in Knoxville right now.

I do think though that Mike Hamilton should be held accountable though. He forced Fulmer out, hired Kiffin, watched Kiffin leave, and is essentially going to replace Fulmer with a former assistant. Add the arrests from both the football and basketball teams and it really makes me wonder why heads haven't started to roll.

Thats the big difference in the two. UKs AD made a mistake with BCG and went out and made us all forget about it. Their AD is going to screw it up it appears.

You're right about the fans though, both have the same lofty expectations.

[traderumor]

I think the coach hopping is both a money grab and insecurity in their own abilities. The coach leaves before his true shortcomings as a coach are exposed. They come in, add some energy to a program, esp. the name coaches, then they leave before it becomes known that they really are not a good coach. See Zook, Ron. Also Saban, Nick.

Kiffen is just going to be a fall guy for the sanctions that I believe are coming USC's way. Why hire someone good when you are heading into a down cycle because of transgressions? Or, maybe that is the best they could get when they disclosed the probability of sanctions.

[joshnky]

Lanes little press conference calling UT one of the best 15 or so jobs in America was again bordering on insulting to the state and disrespectful to the program. There are a handful of programs that are in that elite class UT is one of them.

I think UT is quickly seeing the truth in Lane Kiffin's words. They might have been elite in the nineties but they are no longer the destination coaching job they once were. In fact there are at least three (Alabama, LSU, Florida) better jobs in the SEC alone and some might argue that the Georgia and Auburn jobs are better as well in the current climate. Calhoun would rather stay at Air Force, Muschamp as an assistant at Texas, and Cutcliffe at Duke. Kippy Brown may be a great choice (assuming he gets the job) but everyone will know that he was at least the third choice.

[Chip R]

Might Tennessee be better off keeping a fellow like Brown in there as an interim coach? Then they can do a thorough search throughout the season so they can hire their top choice after next season. If Brown does a good job, they can keep him on. If he isn't the guy they want, then they have time to get their first choice. It seems like if they try to get someone now - if they choose someone other than Brown - they are going to scrape the bottom of the barrell.

[cumberlandreds]

Might Tennessee be better off keeping a fellow like Brown in there as an interim coach? Then they can do a thorough search throughout the season so they can hire their top choice after next season. If Brown does a good job, they can keep him on. If he isn't the guy they want, then they have time to get their first choice. It seems like if they try to get someone now - if they choose someone other than Brown - they are going to scrape the bottom of the barrell.

I've seen this discussed on other boards. I think it may be a good move for UT. They may have a better chance at someone who fits them better by waiting until after next season. They may have to go through a 2-10 season to get there but may be better off in the long run. If they hire someone who doesn't fit this time it could really be a quick and downward spiral that could take more just a year two to fix.

[joshnky]

Might Tennessee be better off keeping a fellow like Brown in there as an interim coach? Then they can do a thorough search throughout the season so they can hire their top choice after next season. If Brown does a good job, they can keep him on. If he isn't the guy they want, then they have time to get their first choice. It seems like if they try to get someone now - if they choose someone other than Brown - they are going to scrape the bottom of the barrell.

It would destroy them recruiting-wise, not only for this year but for several additional years as well. They need to hire someone with a multi-year deal and express their full commitment to him. Who wants to go to a school going on its fourth coach in four years?

[Newport Red]

It would destroy them recruiting-wise, not only for this year but for several additional years as well. They need to hire someone with a multi-year deal and express their full commitment to him. Who wants to go to a school going on its fourth coach in four years?

The other SEC teams would have a field day. Florida lured back Meyer because they were concerned about recruiting. I don't see how Tennessee could possibly convince quality players to come play for Coach TBD.

[Red Heeler]

The other SEC teams would have a field day. Florida lured back Meyer because they were concerned about recruiting. I don't see how Tennessee could possibly convince quality players to come play for Coach TBD.

You would have to be willing to accept that this class is going to be filled with a bunch of Tennessee high school kids who would die for the chance to play in Neyland Stadium if Mickey Mouse was the head coach. That would hurt for a little while. On the other hand, hot commodity coaches like Petersen at Boise and Patterson at TCU aren't going to even return a call at this time. The timing of this has severely limited the Vols choices. Sacrificing this year's class and keeping Kippy Brown as the coach for next year allows them the entire field of coaches to choose from.

[Chip R]

It would destroy them recruiting-wise, not only for this year but for several additional years as well. They need to hire someone with a multi-year deal and express their full commitment to him. Who wants to go to a school going on its fourth coach in four years?

They are already screwed for this year. Probably next year too. So why hire someone just to hire someone you'll fire in 3 years anyway? Unless they can get some hot NFL assistant - or head coach - you might as well wait for someone good. Now if they get someone like Leach or Mangino who are looking for work, then they should go for it. Maybe Brown's the guy but why make a decision in haste?