Lane Kiffin’s gone, and the Big Orange is mournin’
So how do you feel now, Vol fans? Your brash young coach is no longer your coach at all. The guy you defended whenever he committed one of his secondary violations, which was hourly; the guy you believed would recruit his way to the top of the SEC … well, he’s in the wind, and you’re up the creek.
This is what you get when you entrust your program to a brat. He hits town talking big, and he leaves you in a Big Orange lurch. Ten years from now — heck, 10 minutes from now — we’ll be looking on Lane Kiffin’s season in K-Town and saying, “What the heck was that?” Called Urban Meyer a cheat, choppered down on Georgia high school stadiums, smirked at every abrogation of NCAA bylaws and then … poof, he’s gone.
Like Keyser Soze. Gone so fast you wonder, “Was he here at all?”
What do you do now, Vol fans? Gonna go hire yourselves another fast talker? Jon Gruden, maybe? Gonna let your heart be broken by another guy with an eye on the escape hatch?
Say this for the guy deposed to make room for Kiffy: Phillip Fulmer was a loyal Volunteer. He won you a national title and two SEC championships and never ran off to California or Connecticut or anywhere in between. He wasn’t glib and goodness knows he wasn’t sleek, but by gosh he was a Vol. That orange jersey meant everything to him. (Heck, he wore the thing.) Know what it meant to Kiffin? A way back to L.A.
Apart from signing a few players and making a slew of enemies and beating Georgia by 26 points, what exactly did Kiffin do? His one and only team finished 7-6. And if you were looking for his second team to topple a Tebow-less (and perhaps Urban-less) Florida, you can forget it. There’ll be no second team. Just another coaching search, another new man, another season of transition. Only this time — surely — at lower volume.
I feel for you, Vol fans. You gave your hearts to the brat, and he tore them out and stomped those suckers flat. (Apologies to Lewis Grizzard.) He’s gone to Southern Cal with his lovely wife and his professorial dad and his henchman Ed Orgeron. And you’re sitting at home in Caryville and Oak Ridge and Sewanee and Chattanooga weeping tears of rejection.
Weep not, I say. Or at least not for long. For all the turmoil you’re about to undergo, yours is the luckier program. You’ll find yourselves a coach and go forward and try to forget this ever happened. The Trojans, meanwhile, have traded the NCAA scrutiny left in Pete Carroll’s wake for the heavier dose sure to come under Kiffy and Eddie O. And here’s the darnedest part: Nobody is yet sure if Kiffin the Younger can coach a lick. (Career record: 12-21.)
You can do better than him, Vol fans. You knew as much all along, but you let yourselves be charmed by glitz and brass and promises now rendered as empty as the West Town Mall on a day when the Vols are playing. Deep down you’ve known all along this would never work. Deep down you knew the proud program of Cafego and Atkins and White and Holloway and Majors and Gen. Neyland was never a place for a brat.
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1,115 comments Add your comment
ommyta
January 12th, 2010
9:54 pm
What is USC thinking? Under investigation by the NCAA, and they hire the poster child for playing fast and loose with the rules. Unbelievable.
morris
January 12th, 2010
9:54 pm
Don’t mean to pile on the good Vol fans because I know some personally that I like. But where are all the loudmouth ones at now? The ones who have been coming on the UGA blogs making light of our DC search. And to all you UGA fans who have been critical of coach Richt. Where are you? Take heed UGA fans and understand that values and loyalty do mean something. Richt is everything that is good about college football coaches and kiffin represents everything that is bad. Richt will stay the course and find a suitable DC and I truly believe we will be SEC champs once again in the not to distant future. Has Richt made mistakes? Yes he stayed to long with WM and he would probably acknowledge that fact. But UGA fans can rest assured that he won’t leave us in the middle of the night for some shiny new job. Kiffin is a punk and i think he has some serious mental issues. Now everybody knows that Al Davis was actually telling the truth a few years back when he ran Kiffin out of town.
Bremen Dawg
January 12th, 2010
9:54 pm
Hate it! Wanted to pound him in Athens next year. Looks like Dawgs and Jackets could benefit from recruits changing minds.
Mark – do you think some scholarships might be available at either school for top recruits who will switch?
Lane Kiffin
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
I heard there was an opening at the AJC available. I’m kinda tired with this USC gig….
Trust me, I can recruit the best journalists to this paper.
Oh, but could you pick up that buyout? Thanks.
Gatorfan
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
dont get to excited puppy fans…..you still cant find a defensive coach now can you
Layla Kiffin
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
Tennessee is filled with toothless wonders, LA is the place I want to be.
Dap01
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
Between providing Reggie Bush hundreds of thousands of dollars and the slim that is Kiffin, the NCAA should get ready for action.
Of course, the NCAA has turned a blind eye to USC for years. The SEC will be a better conference without Kiffin.
Why would any parent consider letting their child play for him?
Gamecock BG
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
Looking good for us next year to win the sec east for the first time.
mark
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
I heard that Tuberville has backed out of his Texas Tech deal to go to Tennessee… WOW. College Football is nuts.
reebok
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
Ga Tech Fan here. I respect and admire the Tennessee program. And I say to all Vol fans…YOU ARE BETTER OFF WITHOUT THAT PUNK. Seriously. Good luck on your new head coach search. And if you come after Paul Johnson, I am gonna be PI$$D.
THIEF
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
MAYBE WE (UGA) CAN STEAL SOME OF THOSE RECRUITS NOW!
MatthewH
January 12th, 2010
9:55 pm
I don’t care one way or another, but I can’t believe you referenced the village of Sewanee,TN in this blog! Yay, Sewanee’s Right!
ratherBgambling
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
Alot of egg on peolples faces in Knoxville.
AD Hamilton is done. Firing Phulmer, defending this clown, basketball players in trouble, pending NCAA investigation in Lame and the Orange Pride.
He put all his eggs in that basketball and it now smells awful.
Corrections Officer
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
UT bought in, UT got burned. Sorry but they asked for it. Now go get a real man to coach this time. Learned your lesson Vols?
Great article Mr. Bradley. This was an incisive, accurate assessment of a program who wanted a fresh start, a new way and would up taking a rabbit trail.
Bandwagon
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
Kirby Smart to UT
Rip
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
They could get Fulmer back as HC for one year just to ride out the storm
Mark Bradley
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
I’ve learned that if a player is good enough, schools always find room, Bremen.
ike
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
Mark, it’s probably the same way you’ll feel 5 years from now when UK is on probation and all wins from this era are vacated because your school hired a similar scumbag in Calipari
Mike Oxbig
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
Very easy to answer Mark. He realized going on the road in SEC not the same as having to go play Wash, Wash St, Az St, etc where a full stadium is 25000 people.
GT STILL IS A 4TH RATE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
IN REALITY SABAN WILL GET THE VOLS JOB FOR 10 MILLS AND GET HIS THIRD NC TR0PHY THERE. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHHHAHA MIGHT AS WELL GET HIS 4TH AT UGA IN THE FUTURE.
AltamahaDawg
January 12th, 2010
9:56 pm
I think it just means that Tn is going to get an actual solid coach now. I’d rather this guy stayed.
ugadawg61
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Can any one say David Cutcliffe?
Mark Bradley
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
I had to Google it, Top Dawg.
ratherBgambling
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
sorry for the typos
Mr. Touchdown
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Uncle Commode is available, but he’s not cheap.
GT STILL IS A 4TH RATE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
SMART IS GOING TO THE TENN VOLS IF SABAN IS WITH HIM. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Matt the Brave
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Hey, wonder if Bobby Petrino’s gonna go to Tennessee now…
NoGaGator
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Welcome back to the SEC as a full member, Gen Neyland. Now if you can just keep that mongoloid AD of yours from picking another @#$%^&*( (go ahead and fill in the blank)
Mikey in the SAV
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Well.
Lets see…
Mike Leach?
Jim Leavitt?
David Cutcliffe?
Butch Davis?
Sly Croom?
Phil Fulmer- we’re sorry…we didnt mean it( Vol Nation)…
Jon Gruden?
Kirby Smart?
fill-in-the-blank…
UT got in bed with the devil...
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
…and the devil stole their soul.
Phil Fulmer loved Tennessee. Fulmer breathed and ate Tennessee orange. In the good ole days ole UT would’ve stuck with Phil through the good and the bad and he’d probably have brought them back. But NO! The University of Tennessee dumped Phil in a rather classless shabby manner and got in bed with a guy, Lane Kiffin, who has a very questionable reputation, played fats and loose with NCAA rules and then dumped UT at the first chance.
The University of Tennessee deserved Lane Kiffin.
Now let’s watch Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn etc. divide the spoils ie. UT’s recruits!!!!
I hope the NCAA uncovers all kinds of filth in their impending investigations of USC and UT.
JJacket
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Tennessee is better off without him. His playcalling was awful. He acted like a spoiled child at the end of the VT game by snubbing Beamer.
Benjamin
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Greatest. Story. Ever….
gary
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
The guy is certainly a jerk, but give him his due as a prophet: He said he’d never lose to Georgia as long as he was at Tennessee.
reebok
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
oh and another thing…WTF is USC THINKING???? this guy is POISON!!
SC Gamecox
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
This is great. We are now the front runners to finally win the sec east!
johns creek
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
All you complaining about the DC search at UGA. Mark Richt would never have done this to us. Last week Blake Sims decommitted from Bama based on what “Lane Kiffin” told him. What other lies has this guy told? How can today’s 17 and 18 year olds not see right through this guy? Most people thought “Lane Kiffin” would eventually cause the Vols trouble. They didn’t realize it would be this soon. 7 and 6 this year. BTW, “Lane Kiffin” is in quotes because he is a total fake. Time for the Dawg fans to rally around a man our state can be proud of instead of pining for these phonies who are in it for themselves above all else.
DawgFan
January 12th, 2010
9:57 pm
Suddenly UGA’s troubles don’t look so bad. Geez – starting from scratch to find a head coach, defensive coordinator, save recruits. As a dawg fan I find myself in an unusual position – actually feeling sorry for UT but happy the SEC is rid of this loser.
Top Dawg
January 12th, 2010
9:58 pm
Nananana Nananana Hey Hey Hey Goodbye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Altogether now…………….
Voice of Reason
January 12th, 2010
9:58 pm
He was a square peg in a round hole in the SEC. He was a jerk of the highest order. Vol fans, long term, you will be better off. In the meantime, Phil Fulmer is available and it really isn’t a bad idea! Of course, Alabama would vote against him, but…………
King Ealey
January 12th, 2010
9:58 pm
Too Funny!!! One and done Vols.
Allen
January 12th, 2010
9:58 pm
Okay, so maybe Smart gets a head coaching job in the SEC next year and Saban loses him after all. If it happens, don’t laugh fellow dawg fans, at least until Richt has a contract with Grantham. Saban might have I-20 shut down to stop Grantham long enough to say, “Looook intoo my eyes,” and we will be on to candidate five.
DwayneL
January 12th, 2010
9:58 pm
I knew he was a looser!
Bobby Bowden
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
Hey Y’all. I’m dadgum available Vols if ya want me.
rrich
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
I bet Tennessee fans wish Phil was still there. The 2008 sec east one of the winiest coaches in football and always ran a clean program and most of all was LOYAL to Tennessee football and fans you got what you deserve all of you that wanted phil out hahahahahahaha
ratherBgambling
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
Where are the posts from VolNation and General Neyland?
Mr. Touchdown
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
Somebody’s, and maybe manybody’s, recruiting class(es) just jumped about 10 spots.
Yo Gator Fan
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
This is a way bigger problem than finding a DC. Mark Richt has made ONE (that’s o n e, 1) offer. So what?! The media has made it a much bigger “deal” than it is. Meanwhile, UT has a HUGE issue right now. In the long run, they got rid of a total loser but for now this spells big-time trouble for BO Country.
All overweight Vol rednecks
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
Getting Smart would be the ULTIMATE coup. I am all for it. What a circus!
UT to USC
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
Lane Kiffin has the NCAA sniffing at UT’s door for the way he played fast and loose with NCAA rules. Now he goes to USC which is already under an investigation of their own. WOW!
GT STILL IS A 4TH RATE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM
January 12th, 2010
9:59 pm
IF RICHT GOES TO THE VOLS, UGA CAN GET WILL MUSCHAMP AS HC AND TRAVIS JONES(N.O. SAINTS) AS D.C. THEN THE COACHES BECOMES ALMOST SOLID RED BLOODED DAWGS. THEN WE CAN SEE WHAT UGA CAN DO WITH THEM.