Lane Kiffin
Encyclopedia
Lane Monte Kiffin is the current head coach
of the University of Southern California Trojans college football
team. He was previously the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers
college football
team, the Oakland Raiders
of the NFL
, and the offensive coordinator
for the Trojans. He is the son of longtime NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin
, who serves as his assistant head coach.
in Minnesota
and a 1998 graduate of Fresno State University
. He played backup quarterback
for the Fresno State Bulldogs
and gave up his senior season to become a Student Assistant Coach at Fresno State, where his position coach was current University of California Head Coach Jeff Tedford
. He earned his bachelor degree in Leisure Service Management from Fresno State in 1998 where in addition to football
, he played basketball
and baseball
.
. In 1999, while he was working with the offensive line, the Rams played in the Liberty Bowl
that season. Kiffin secured a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars
as a quality control assistant for one year. He was then hired by Pete Carroll
as a tight ends coach at USC.
(USC) staff in 2001
and became the wide receiver
s coach in 2002
. In 2004
, he added the duties of passing game coordinator and was promoted to offensive coordinator
in 2005
. Kiffin also took the reins as recruiting coordinator that year, after offensive coordinator Norm Chow
left USC for the same position with the NFL's Tennessee Titans
. Along with these duties, Kiffin continued as the wide receivers coach.
During Kiffin's tenure with USC, he was instrumental in the development of several wide receivers and tight ends in the program. While he was there, USC produced noted talents such as NFL draftees Mike Williams, Keary Colbert
, Kareem Kelly
, Alex Holmes
and Dominique Byrd
. In addition, Steve Smith
and Dwayne Jarrett
of the 2006 USC Trojans football team
were both selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft
by the New York Giants
and the Carolina Panthers
, respectively. Patrick Turner
, Fred Davis
and several other young new recruits such as Vidal Hazelton, Travon Patterson and Jamere Holland seem likely to continue the trend of excellence at this position. Holland transferred to the University of Oregon in 2006 and was kicked off the Ducks team for making racist remarks . Notably, Lane Kiffin also helped amass the number-one recruiting class in the nation, the past several years (as evaluated by organizations such as Scout.com and Rivals.com).
In 2005, USC head coach Pete Carroll
selected Kiffin to replace Norm Chow as offensive coordinator. Despite being new to the role, Lane Kiffin helped guide USC to a 23–3 win-loss record during his tenure- an 88% win percentage (However, in June 2010 the NCAA retroactively declared Reggie Bush ineligible for the entire 2005 season, and forced USC to vacate all of their 2005 wins). During the previous four years under Norm Chow's play calling, the Trojans achieved 41 wins and 9 losses (82%). Under Kiffin in 2005 the USC offense produced school records in virtually every dimension, averaging 49.1 points and 579 yards per game. USC’s potent offense that season became the first in NCAA history to have a 3,000 yard passer (Matt Leinart
), two 1,000 yard rushers (Reggie Bush
and LenDale White
), and a 1,000 yard receiver (Dwayne Jarrett
). Steve Smith
fell a few yards short of also surpassing 1,000 yards in receiving. With an all new offensive cast at the skill positions and in what was generally viewed as a rebuilding year for USC the offensive totals fell off to 30.5 point, and 391 yards per game, and 11 wins overall, he was promoted to offensive and recruiting coordinator while continuing as the wide receivers coach. In Kiffin’s three years as recruiting coordinator at USC, the Trojans had the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in college football every year. Under Kiffin leadership in 2006, the Trojans finished first in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency by averaging 142.8 yards per game, produced two, 1,000-yard receivers – Dwayne Jarrett (1,105) and Steve Smith (1,083) – and a 3,000-yard passer John David Booty
, with 3,347 yards. Injuries affected the team all year as three fullbacks went down to major injury by the third game of the year, several freshman running backs rotated as starting tailback, and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett
missed parts of the mid-season due to injury. Despite these losses and key injuries the team produced top 20 statistics in most NCAA offensive categories and concluded with a 32–18 win over the then #3 ranked team the University of Michigan
in the Rose Bowl
.
After an upset loss to the UCLA Bruins
to close the 2006 season, eliminating USC from the 2006 BCS title game, there were reports in the news media that previous coordinator Norm Chow
publicly criticized the young coordinator along with quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian. He was interviewed by the Orange County Register.
Other sources however point out that Chow's comments were taken out of context in this regard and did not reflect his intended meaning. These reports indicate the following conversation ensued over the airwaves.
The contents of the interview are available for download at KLAC 570AM radio's website Kiffin, Walker and Chow were all coaches on the 2001 Trojans team.
hired Kiffin on January 23, 2007, making him the youngest head coach in Raiders history, and the youngest head coach in the NFL's "modern era" (i.e. since 1946), and signed Kiffin to a two-year deal worth about $4 million with a team option for 2009. At the introductory news conference, Davis erroneously referred to Lane Kiffin as "Lance." Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach John Madden was 32 when he was elevated to the head post by Davis in 1969. Davis has been known to select young, up-and-coming coaches in their thirties; those hires who fared well include John Madden, Mike Shanahan
and Jon Gruden
. All have won Super Bowls, though Madden is the only one of the three to win a championship with the Raiders.
Age 31 at the time of his hiring by the Raiders (32 when he coached his first game), Kiffin became the youngest head coach in National Football League
history; he also surpassed the New York Jets
' Eric Mangini
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
' Mike Tomlin
as the youngest head coach since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970
.
On August 12, 2007, in his NFL head coaching debut, Kiffin and the Raiders won their preseason opener 27–23 over the Arizona Cardinals.
Kiffin vehemently opposed the selection of JaMarcus Russell
. The reasons for this were never made clear, though in 2010 Bleacher Report
Raiders correspondent Jeremy Baril suggested that Kiffin didn't like Russell's work ethic. As it turned out, Russell held out until September 12, and didn't make his first start until December 2, long after the season was effectively over.
Kiffin recorded his first regular season win as an NFL head coach on September 23, 2007; the Raiders defeated the Cleveland Browns
26–24 when defensive lineman Tommy Kelly blocked a late Cleveland field goal.
At his end-of-the-season press conference, Kiffin told the media and his players that he had many plans and changes he was going to make in the 2008 offseason. When asked by his players about rumors that Kiffin was interested in open coaching positions in college football, he told them he never thought the rumors were important enough to address because he was never planning to leave.
's Chris Mortensen
that Davis, who was not known for being patient with his coaches, tried to force Kiffin to resign after his first season ended with a 4-12 record. A source allegedly close to Kiffin told Mortensen that Kiffin would not resign, and would not sign the letter of resignation which would cause him to forfeit his $2 million salary for the remaining guaranteed year of his contract. However, the Raiders denied the story, while Kiffin refused to comment.
On September 15, 2008 NBC Sports reported Davis was unhappy with Kiffin, and intended to fire him as soon as the following Monday or Tuesday. On September 30, 2008, Davis fired Kiffin over the telephone. At the televised news conference announcing the firing, Davis called Kiffin "a flat-out liar" and said he was guilty of "bringing disgrace to the organization". The Raiders said the move was made for cause, meaning they would terminate his contract immediately without paying the $2.6 million that was left on it for 2008. Kiffin later added in an interview with ESPN
that he was not proud to be associated with Davis's accusations and was actually more embarrassed for Davis than himself. The Raiders subsequently released a letter Davis sent to Kiffin on September 12 which warned him that he was on the verge of being fired for "conduct detrimental to the Raiders," including repeated instances of making excuses and outright lies. Kiffin's post-firing press conference was cancelled. Kiffin filed a grievance against the Raiders, claiming that he was fired without cause, but on November 15, 2010, an arbitrator ruled that Davis did indeed have cause to fire Kiffin.
In a letter to Kiffin's next employer, the University of Tennessee
, Raiders counsel Jeff Birren said that Kiffin was fired for repeated violations of NFL rules and numerous false statements.
Kiffin's 20 game stint as Raiders coach ended with a 5–15 record. Offensive line coach Tom Cable
was given interim head coaching duties for the remainder of the 2008 season
and was later made their permanent head coach on February 4, 2009.
Volunteers
in 2009, replacing ousted head coach Phillip Fulmer
. UT formally introduced Kiffin as the school's 21st head football coach on December 1, 2008 in a 2:00 p.m. news conference.
Kiffin, 33, was hired by Tennessee and became the youngest active head coach in Division I FBS, surpassing Northwestern
's Pat Fitzgerald
.
Kiffin led the Vols to a 7-6 record in 2009, an improvement from their 5-7 record in 2008
. The Vols increased their offensive output by more than 60 percent in 2009 with Kiffin calling the offensive plays. Highlights included wins over South Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky. However the season was marred by losses to UCLA, Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss, as well as a 23 point blow-out loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. After one season as coach, Kiffin left the Vols during the 2010 recruiting season to accept the head coaching job at the University of Southern California
.
lashed out at Kiffin for hiring one of his assistants, James Cregg
, with two weeks remaining in the NFL season. Cable called the timing of Cregg's departure "wrong in the business of coaching" and indicated he had lost respect for Kiffin and planned to confront him about it. Nothing further was said publicly regarding the incident.
with the University of Tennessee on November 30, 2008. The deal included $2 million in 2009, with additional performance bonuses, including a $300,000 bonus if UT competes for the national championship. His salary was set to increase over the six-year-deal, reaching a high of $2.75 million in 2014. The average salary of the deal was $2.375 million. If Kiffin had been fired in 2009 or 2010, the school would have to pay him $7.5 million under a buyout clause; after the 2012 season, the buyout clause decreased to $5 million. Kiffin's contract stated that if he resigned, he would have to pay UT $1 million in 2009, with the sum decreasing by $200,000 each year of his contract.
, the head coach of the Florida Gators
, of violating NCAA recruiting rules at Tennessee booster breakfast at the Knoxville Convention Center.
While Kiffin was accusing Meyer of violating NCAA rules, he was actually violating Southeastern Conference rules himself and his accusations of Meyer's conduct being against NCAA rules were incorrect.
Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive issued a public reprimand to Kiffin over the comments.
In addition to the public reprimand by Slive, Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley
issued a statement demanding a public apology from Kiffin.
Kiffin issued a public apology a day after the remarks. In a statement released by the University of Tennessee, Kiffin said, "In my enthusiasm for our recruiting class, I made some statements that were meant solely to excite those at the breakfast. If I offended anyone at the University of Florida, including Mr. Foley and Urban Meyer, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention."
During the same speech on February 5, Kiffin said he ordered high school recruit Nu'Keese Richardson to fax his signing papers from somewhere other than Pahokee High, because: "...somebody at the school was going to screw it up, the fax machine wouldn't work or they would have changed the signatures. All the things that go on in Pahokee now." According to Pahokee Head Coach Blaze Thompson, Kiffin promised a public apology for these and other remarks, but has not delivered.
On February 13, 2009 on a Knoxville radio show, Kiffin referred to Bryce Brown
as a "great player," which the university plans to self-report as a secondary recruiting violation since NCAA rules prohibit coaches from publicly commenting on recruitable athletes.
In late February 2009, Kiffin was accused of denigrating the Georgia Bulldogs
recruiting efforts in the state of Georgia
on a talk radio show with the Rivals network. The University of Georgia
Athletic Director Damon Evans
responded that the program does not need to cheat to have success.
According to ESPN
's Chris Low “Kiffin told recruit Alshon Jeffrey that if he chose the Gamecocks
, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina.” Kiffin denies ever making that statement. However the incident was corroborated by Alshon Jeffrey's coach Walter Wilson who was listening to Kiffin's remarks on speakerphone.
's departure from USC to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks
. The departure upset some students and fans of the University of Tennessee. Hundreds of students rioted on campus at the news of Kiffin's departure. Knoxville police and fire department were brought in after students blocked the exit from the Neyland Thompson Sports Center and started several small fires.
, a long time defensive coordinator in the National Football League
, most notably since 1996 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who now serves as the defensive coordinator on Lane's staff at USC.
Lane and his wife Layla, who is a University of Florida
alumna, have two daughters named Landry and Pressley. On January 13, 2009, Layla gave birth to their first son, Monte Knox Kiffin. He named his son Knox after Knoxville, Tennessee, where he got his first college football head coaching job. Kiffin's brother, Chris, was a defensive lineman at Colorado State University
. Kiffin's father-in-law, John Reaves
, is a former NFL quarterback who played his college football for the Florida Gators
.
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
of the University of Southern California Trojans college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team. He was previously the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
team, the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, and the offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
for the Trojans. He is the son of longtime NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin
Monte Kiffin
Monte Kiffin is an American football coach. He is widely considered to be one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history...
, who serves as his assistant head coach.
Early life
Kiffin is a 1993 graduate of Bloomington Jefferson High SchoolBloomington Jefferson High School
For schools with a similar name, see Jefferson High School.Thomas Jefferson Senior High School is one of the two high schools in Bloomington, MN, USA Independent School District No. 271. It is located on at 102nd Street and France Avenue on the suburb's southwest side. About 1,600 students attend...
in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and a 1998 graduate of Fresno State University
California State University, Fresno
California State University, Fresno, often referred to as Fresno State University and synonymously known in athletics as Fresno State , is one of the leading campuses of the California State University system, located at the northeast edge of Fresno, California, USA.The campus sits at the foot of...
. He played backup quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
for the Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State Bulldogs
The Fresno State Bulldogs represent California State University, Fresno in 19 NCAA Division I sports. The teams have been members of the Western Athletic Conference since 1992. Before that, it had been a member of the Big West Conference since 1969...
and gave up his senior season to become a Student Assistant Coach at Fresno State, where his position coach was current University of California Head Coach Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford
Jeff Tedford is an American football coach and the current head coach of the California Golden Bears football team, a position he has held since 2002. As a first-time head coach, Tedford has won wide acclaim for revitalizing the Cal football program...
. He earned his bachelor degree in Leisure Service Management from Fresno State in 1998 where in addition to football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, he played basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
.
Early positions
Kiffin also worked as a Graduate Assistant for one year at Colorado State UniversityColorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
. In 1999, while he was working with the offensive line, the Rams played in the Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
that season. Kiffin secured a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
as a quality control assistant for one year. He was then hired by Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
as a tight ends coach at USC.
USC assistant
Kiffin joined the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
(USC) staff in 2001
2001 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning the national title for the fifth time.The Hurricanes were led by Larry Coker, who was in his first year as head coach after five years as Miami's offensive coordinator under Butch Davis...
and became the wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
s coach in 2002
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
. In 2004
2004 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2004 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with several undefeated teams vying for a spot in the national title game, triggering controversy. In the 2003 season, no team finished the regular season unbeaten, and five teams finished the season with one loss...
, he added the duties of passing game coordinator and was promoted to offensive coordinator
Offensive coordinator
An offensive coordinator is a member of the coaching staff of a gridiron football team who is in charge of the offense. Generally, along with his defensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
in 2005
2005 USC Trojans football team
The 2005 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in the college football season of 2005–2006, winning the Pacific-10 Conference , and playing for the NCAA Division I-A national championship...
. Kiffin also took the reins as recruiting coordinator that year, after offensive coordinator Norm Chow
Norm Chow
Norman Chow is the offensive coordinator for the Utah Utes, a position he started on January 22, 2011. He previously held the same position with UCLA, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, USC, North Carolina State, and Brigham Young University....
left USC for the same position with the NFL's Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
. Along with these duties, Kiffin continued as the wide receivers coach.
During Kiffin's tenure with USC, he was instrumental in the development of several wide receivers and tight ends in the program. While he was there, USC produced noted talents such as NFL draftees Mike Williams, Keary Colbert
Keary Colbert
Patrick Keary Jerel Colbert is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
, Kareem Kelly
Kareem Kelly
Kareem Kelly is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, Alex Holmes
Alex Holmes
Alex Holmes was a National Football League tight end.-Professional career:Holmes played for the Miami Dolphins in 2005 and signed as a free agent with the Saint Louis Rams for 2006...
and Dominique Byrd
Dominique Byrd
Dominique Montiel Byrd is an American football tight end who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
. In addition, Steve Smith
Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Steve Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
and Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
of the 2006 USC Trojans football team
2006 USC Trojans football team
The 2006 USC Trojans football team represented the University of Southern California in college football season of 2006-2007, winning the Pacific-10 Conference and playing in the Rose Bowl...
were both selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft
2007 NFL Draft
The 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
, respectively. Patrick Turner
Patrick Turner
Patrick Turner is an American football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft...
, Fred Davis
Fred Davis (tight end)
Fred Davis is an American football tight end currently playing for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Redskins in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Davis prepped at Rogers High School...
and several other young new recruits such as Vidal Hazelton, Travon Patterson and Jamere Holland seem likely to continue the trend of excellence at this position. Holland transferred to the University of Oregon in 2006 and was kicked off the Ducks team for making racist remarks . Notably, Lane Kiffin also helped amass the number-one recruiting class in the nation, the past several years (as evaluated by organizations such as Scout.com and Rivals.com).
In 2005, USC head coach Pete Carroll
Pete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
selected Kiffin to replace Norm Chow as offensive coordinator. Despite being new to the role, Lane Kiffin helped guide USC to a 23–3 win-loss record during his tenure- an 88% win percentage (However, in June 2010 the NCAA retroactively declared Reggie Bush ineligible for the entire 2005 season, and forced USC to vacate all of their 2005 wins). During the previous four years under Norm Chow's play calling, the Trojans achieved 41 wins and 9 losses (82%). Under Kiffin in 2005 the USC offense produced school records in virtually every dimension, averaging 49.1 points and 579 yards per game. USC’s potent offense that season became the first in NCAA history to have a 3,000 yard passer (Matt Leinart
Matt Leinart
Matthew Stephen Leinart , is an American professional football quarterback for the Houston Texans of the National Football League...
), two 1,000 yard rushers (Reggie Bush
Reggie Bush
Reginald Alfred "Reggie" Bush II is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft...
and LenDale White
LenDale White
LenDale Anthony White is an American football running back. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the second round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California....
), and a 1,000 yard receiver (Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
). Steve Smith
Steve Smith (New York Giants)
Steve Smith is an American football wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League . He was drafted by the New York Giants in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft...
fell a few yards short of also surpassing 1,000 yards in receiving. With an all new offensive cast at the skill positions and in what was generally viewed as a rebuilding year for USC the offensive totals fell off to 30.5 point, and 391 yards per game, and 11 wins overall, he was promoted to offensive and recruiting coordinator while continuing as the wide receivers coach. In Kiffin’s three years as recruiting coordinator at USC, the Trojans had the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in college football every year. Under Kiffin leadership in 2006, the Trojans finished first in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency by averaging 142.8 yards per game, produced two, 1,000-yard receivers – Dwayne Jarrett (1,105) and Steve Smith (1,083) – and a 3,000-yard passer John David Booty
John David Booty
John David Booty is an American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He last played for the Houston Texans until being cut on September 4, 2010. He played college football at USC.Booty has also been a member of the Tennessee Titans...
, with 3,347 yards. Injuries affected the team all year as three fullbacks went down to major injury by the third game of the year, several freshman running backs rotated as starting tailback, and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett
Dwayne Jarrett is an American football wide receiver formerly of the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Panthers in the second round the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Southern California.-Early years:Jarrett attended New Brunswick...
missed parts of the mid-season due to injury. Despite these losses and key injuries the team produced top 20 statistics in most NCAA offensive categories and concluded with a 32–18 win over the then #3 ranked team the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
.
After an upset loss to the UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins Football
The UCLA Bruins football program represents the University of California, Los Angeles in college football as members of the Pacific-12 Conference at the NCAA Division I FBS level. The Bruins have enjoyed several periods of success in their history, having been ranked in the top ten of the AP Poll...
to close the 2006 season, eliminating USC from the 2006 BCS title game, there were reports in the news media that previous coordinator Norm Chow
Norm Chow
Norman Chow is the offensive coordinator for the Utah Utes, a position he started on January 22, 2011. He previously held the same position with UCLA, the NFL's Tennessee Titans, USC, North Carolina State, and Brigham Young University....
publicly criticized the young coordinator along with quarterbacks coach Steve Sarkisian. He was interviewed by the Orange County Register.
Other sources however point out that Chow's comments were taken out of context in this regard and did not reflect his intended meaning. These reports indicate the following conversation ensued over the airwaves.
The contents of the interview are available for download at KLAC 570AM radio's website Kiffin, Walker and Chow were all coaches on the 2001 Trojans team.
Oakland Raiders
Raiders' owner Al DavisAl Davis
Allen "Al" Davis was an American football executive. He was the principal owner of the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League from 1970 to 2011...
hired Kiffin on January 23, 2007, making him the youngest head coach in Raiders history, and the youngest head coach in the NFL's "modern era" (i.e. since 1946), and signed Kiffin to a two-year deal worth about $4 million with a team option for 2009. At the introductory news conference, Davis erroneously referred to Lane Kiffin as "Lance." Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach John Madden was 32 when he was elevated to the head post by Davis in 1969. Davis has been known to select young, up-and-coming coaches in their thirties; those hires who fared well include John Madden, Mike Shanahan
Mike Shanahan
Michael Edward "Mike" Shanahan is the 28th and current head coach of the Washington Redskins of the National Football League. Shanahan also holds the title of Vice President of Football Operations with the Redskins, giving him full control over player personnel with the team. Shanahan previously...
and Jon Gruden
Jon Gruden
Jon David Gruden is an American football analyst and former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for seven seasons and prior to that the Oakland Raiders for four seasons. In his first year as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers won Super Bowl XXXVII, defeating the Raiders whom he had...
. All have won Super Bowls, though Madden is the only one of the three to win a championship with the Raiders.
Age 31 at the time of his hiring by the Raiders (32 when he coached his first game), Kiffin became the youngest head coach in National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
history; he also surpassed the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
' Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini
Eric Mangini is the former head coach of the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets of the National Football League and current NFL analyst for ESPN.-College:...
and the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
' Mike Tomlin
Mike Tomlin
Michael Tomlin is the current head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Tomlin is the third youngest head coach in any of the four major North American professional sports. He is the tenth African-American head coach in NFL history, and first in Steelers history...
as the youngest head coach since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970
1970 in sports
1970 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season champion – Karl Schranz, Austria** Women's overall season champion – Michèle Jacot, France-American football:...
.
On August 12, 2007, in his NFL head coaching debut, Kiffin and the Raiders won their preseason opener 27–23 over the Arizona Cardinals.
Kiffin vehemently opposed the selection of JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
. The reasons for this were never made clear, though in 2010 Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report is a website that provides news and fans' opinions of sporting events.The website was launched in February 2008 by California-based entrepreneurs Dave Finocchio, Zander Freund, Bryan Goldberg, and Dave Nemetz...
Raiders correspondent Jeremy Baril suggested that Kiffin didn't like Russell's work ethic. As it turned out, Russell held out until September 12, and didn't make his first start until December 2, long after the season was effectively over.
Kiffin recorded his first regular season win as an NFL head coach on September 23, 2007; the Raiders defeated the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
26–24 when defensive lineman Tommy Kelly blocked a late Cleveland field goal.
At his end-of-the-season press conference, Kiffin told the media and his players that he had many plans and changes he was going to make in the 2008 offseason. When asked by his players about rumors that Kiffin was interested in open coaching positions in college football, he told them he never thought the rumors were important enough to address because he was never planning to leave.
Departure
On January 25, 2008, it was reported by ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chris Mortensen
Chris Mortensen
Chris "Mort" Mortensen , an award-winning journalist, provides reports for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown, Monday Night Countdown, SportsCenter, ESPN Radio and ESPN.com...
that Davis, who was not known for being patient with his coaches, tried to force Kiffin to resign after his first season ended with a 4-12 record. A source allegedly close to Kiffin told Mortensen that Kiffin would not resign, and would not sign the letter of resignation which would cause him to forfeit his $2 million salary for the remaining guaranteed year of his contract. However, the Raiders denied the story, while Kiffin refused to comment.
On September 15, 2008 NBC Sports reported Davis was unhappy with Kiffin, and intended to fire him as soon as the following Monday or Tuesday. On September 30, 2008, Davis fired Kiffin over the telephone. At the televised news conference announcing the firing, Davis called Kiffin "a flat-out liar" and said he was guilty of "bringing disgrace to the organization". The Raiders said the move was made for cause, meaning they would terminate his contract immediately without paying the $2.6 million that was left on it for 2008. Kiffin later added in an interview with ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
that he was not proud to be associated with Davis's accusations and was actually more embarrassed for Davis than himself. The Raiders subsequently released a letter Davis sent to Kiffin on September 12 which warned him that he was on the verge of being fired for "conduct detrimental to the Raiders," including repeated instances of making excuses and outright lies. Kiffin's post-firing press conference was cancelled. Kiffin filed a grievance against the Raiders, claiming that he was fired without cause, but on November 15, 2010, an arbitrator ruled that Davis did indeed have cause to fire Kiffin.
In a letter to Kiffin's next employer, the University of Tennessee
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, Raiders counsel Jeff Birren said that Kiffin was fired for repeated violations of NFL rules and numerous false statements.
Kiffin's 20 game stint as Raiders coach ended with a 5–15 record. Offensive line coach Tom Cable
Tom Cable
-NFL:-References:...
was given interim head coaching duties for the remainder of the 2008 season
2008 Oakland Raiders season
The 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York...
and was later made their permanent head coach on February 4, 2009.
Tennessee Volunteers
On November 28, 2008, multiple media outlets reported that Lane Kiffin would be the next head football coach for the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
Volunteers
Tennessee Volunteers football
The Tennessee Volunteers football team are an American college football team at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville . The NCAA Division I team is also a member of the Southeastern Conference ....
in 2009, replacing ousted head coach Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer
Phillip Fulmer is a TV college football analyst and the former head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers football team, who compiled a 152–52 record from 1992–2008 as head coach, but was fired during a 5–7 season in 2008...
. UT formally introduced Kiffin as the school's 21st head football coach on December 1, 2008 in a 2:00 p.m. news conference.
Kiffin, 33, was hired by Tennessee and became the youngest active head coach in Division I FBS, surpassing Northwestern
Northwestern Wildcats football
The Northwestern Wildcats football team, representing Northwestern University, is a NCAA Division I team and member of the Big Ten Conference, with evidence of organization in 1876...
's Pat Fitzgerald
Pat Fitzgerald
-External links:*...
.
Kiffin led the Vols to a 7-6 record in 2009, an improvement from their 5-7 record in 2008
2008 Tennessee Volunteers football team
The 2008 Tennessee Volunteers football team represented the University of Tennessee in the college football season of 2008–2009. The team was coached by head football coach Phillip Fulmer, in his 16th and final season as head coach. The Vols played their home games in Neyland Stadium and competed...
. The Vols increased their offensive output by more than 60 percent in 2009 with Kiffin calling the offensive plays. Highlights included wins over South Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky. However the season was marred by losses to UCLA, Florida, Auburn, Alabama and Ole Miss, as well as a 23 point blow-out loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. After one season as coach, Kiffin left the Vols during the 2010 recruiting season to accept the head coaching job at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
.
Raiders feud
Several of his former Raider staff expressed interest as Kiffin began assembling his new staff at Tennessee. On December 15, 2008, Raiders Head Coach Tom CableTom Cable
-NFL:-References:...
lashed out at Kiffin for hiring one of his assistants, James Cregg
James Cregg
James Cregg is an American football coach.-College career:Cregg played college football at Colorado State University. He was an all Mountain West Conference offensive lineman in 1997...
, with two weeks remaining in the NFL season. Cable called the timing of Cregg's departure "wrong in the business of coaching" and indicated he had lost respect for Kiffin and planned to confront him about it. Nothing further was said publicly regarding the incident.
Contract
Kiffin signed a memorandum of understandingMemorandum of understanding
A memorandum of understanding is a document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action. It is often used in cases where parties either do not imply a legal commitment or in...
with the University of Tennessee on November 30, 2008. The deal included $2 million in 2009, with additional performance bonuses, including a $300,000 bonus if UT competes for the national championship. His salary was set to increase over the six-year-deal, reaching a high of $2.75 million in 2014. The average salary of the deal was $2.375 million. If Kiffin had been fired in 2009 or 2010, the school would have to pay him $7.5 million under a buyout clause; after the 2012 season, the buyout clause decreased to $5 million. Kiffin's contract stated that if he resigned, he would have to pay UT $1 million in 2009, with the sum decreasing by $200,000 each year of his contract.
Remarks and accusations
On February 5, 2009, Kiffin accused Urban MeyerUrban Meyer
Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American football coach and former player. He is head football coach at Ohio State University, having been hired for the position in November 2011...
, the head coach of the Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
, of violating NCAA recruiting rules at Tennessee booster breakfast at the Knoxville Convention Center.
While Kiffin was accusing Meyer of violating NCAA rules, he was actually violating Southeastern Conference rules himself and his accusations of Meyer's conduct being against NCAA rules were incorrect.
Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive issued a public reprimand to Kiffin over the comments.
In addition to the public reprimand by Slive, Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley
Jeremy Foley
Jeremy N. Foley is an American university sports administrator and former college athlete. Foley is currently the athletic director for the Florida Gators Division I sports program of the University of Florida located in Gainesville, Florida...
issued a statement demanding a public apology from Kiffin.
Kiffin issued a public apology a day after the remarks. In a statement released by the University of Tennessee, Kiffin said, "In my enthusiasm for our recruiting class, I made some statements that were meant solely to excite those at the breakfast. If I offended anyone at the University of Florida, including Mr. Foley and Urban Meyer, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention."
During the same speech on February 5, Kiffin said he ordered high school recruit Nu'Keese Richardson to fax his signing papers from somewhere other than Pahokee High, because: "...somebody at the school was going to screw it up, the fax machine wouldn't work or they would have changed the signatures. All the things that go on in Pahokee now." According to Pahokee Head Coach Blaze Thompson, Kiffin promised a public apology for these and other remarks, but has not delivered.
On February 13, 2009 on a Knoxville radio show, Kiffin referred to Bryce Brown
Bryce Brown
Bryce Lee Brown is an American football running back. He attended the University of Tennessee his freshman year, but decided to leave the football program in March 2010...
as a "great player," which the university plans to self-report as a secondary recruiting violation since NCAA rules prohibit coaches from publicly commenting on recruitable athletes.
In late February 2009, Kiffin was accused of denigrating the Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Bulldogs
The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...
recruiting efforts in the state of Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
on a talk radio show with the Rivals network. The University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
Athletic Director Damon Evans
Damon Evans
Damon M. Evans is the former Athletic Director at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.After graduating from Gainesville High School in Hall County, Georgia, Evans played football for UGA, and graduated from the Terry College of Business in 1992 with a Bachelor of Business Administration ...
responded that the program does not need to cheat to have success.
According to ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
's Chris Low “Kiffin told recruit Alshon Jeffrey that if he chose the Gamecocks
South Carolina Gamecocks
The University of South Carolina's 19 varsity sports teams are known as the "Gamecocks". The unique moniker is held in honor of Thomas Sumter, a South Carolina war hero who was given the name "The Carolina Gamecock" during the American Revolution for his fierce fighting tactics, regardless of his...
, he would end up pumping gas for the rest of his life like all the other players from that state who had gone to South Carolina.” Kiffin denies ever making that statement. However the incident was corroborated by Alshon Jeffrey's coach Walter Wilson who was listening to Kiffin's remarks on speakerphone.
Departure from Tennessee
On January 12, 2010, Kiffin returned to USC to become the Trojans head coach. This came following Pete CarrollPete Carroll
Peter Clay Carroll is the head coach and executive Vice-President of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, New England Patriots and the University of Southern California Trojans football team.-Early life:Carroll attended Redwood High...
's departure from USC to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
. The departure upset some students and fans of the University of Tennessee. Hundreds of students rioted on campus at the news of Kiffin's departure. Knoxville police and fire department were brought in after students blocked the exit from the Neyland Thompson Sports Center and started several small fires.
Family
Kiffin is the son of Monte KiffinMonte Kiffin
Monte Kiffin is an American football coach. He is widely considered to be one of the preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, as well as one of the greatest defensive coordinators in NFL history...
, a long time defensive coordinator in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
, most notably since 1996 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who now serves as the defensive coordinator on Lane's staff at USC.
Lane and his wife Layla, who is a University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
alumna, have two daughters named Landry and Pressley. On January 13, 2009, Layla gave birth to their first son, Monte Knox Kiffin. He named his son Knox after Knoxville, Tennessee, where he got his first college football head coaching job. Kiffin's brother, Chris, was a defensive lineman at Colorado State University
Colorado State Rams football
The Colorado State Rams football program, established in 1893, represents Colorado State University and is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mountain West Conference under head coach Steve Fairchild...
. Kiffin's father-in-law, John Reaves
John Reaves
Thomas Johnson "John" Reaves is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback for eleven seasons in the National Football League and three seasons in the United States Football League...
, is a former NFL quarterback who played his college football for the Florida Gators
Florida Gators football
The Florida Gators football team represents the University of Florida in the sport of American football. The Florida Gators compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision of the National Collegiate Athletics Association and the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference...
.
NFL
| Team | |Regular Season | OAK 2007 Oakland Raiders season The 2007 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-eight season overall. The team finished the season with a 4–12 record. It began with the team's fourth head coach in six seasons. By virtue of the team's 2–14 finish in 2006 , they acquired the first overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft... |
2007 2007 NFL season The 2007 NFL season was the 88th regular season of the National Football League.Regular-season play was held from September 6 to December 30.... |
4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 4th in AFC west | – | – | – | – |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OAK 2008 Oakland Raiders season The 2008 Oakland Raiders season was the team's forty-ninth season. The Raiders improved upon their 4–12 record from 2007. This was also the first time in four seasons that the team did not play both contestants from the previous Super Bowl, playing the New England Patriots, but not the New York... |
2008 2008 NFL season The 2008 NFL season was the 89th regular season of the National Football League, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now."Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1, 2009, with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming out victorious over the... |
1 | 3 | 0 | .250 | – | – | – | – | – | ||
| OAK Total | 5 | 15 | 0 | .250 | – | – | – | |||||
| Total | 5 | 15 | 0 | .250 | – | – | – | |||||