MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. -- I was asked about Tennessee's hire of Lane Kiffin a dozen times this week while attending BCS championship game media functions. My response: I like it from a marketing perspective, and I've heard great things about his ability to recruit. I like the fact that Lane has some swagger, and I'm glad the Vols are thinking outside of the box with the hire. You're not gonna out-Urban Meyer or out-Nick Saban, if you know what I mean. I like the concept of the hire as much now as I did when I wrote the "Kiffin Concept" blog back in November, when folks were still yammering for Butch Davis. But not everyone thinks alike. As Florida coach Urban Meyer said, "Everyone has a different perception of reality.'' I took it upon myself to hit up the football media contacts who shared the press box with me Thursday night to get their opinions of my question: "What was your reaction to Tennessee hiring Lane Kiffin?'' I'll start with Gene and Woody, the two most accomplished UT journalism products in the business. They obviously still have a rooting interest in the Vols; both men took their time to respond and gave thoughtful answers: Gene Wojciechowski, ESPN.com "I don't know what to think. I know he's hiring a great NFL staff - his dad from Tampa and Orgeron from the Saints. He's going into one of the most impatient places there is. The whole thing is a chemistry experiment to me. It will be fascinating to see how it plays out. It's one of the few hires where most people don't have a feel for how it will work out. It's one of the greatest calculated gambles I've seen in a while. If it works, Mike Hamilton looks like a genius. If it doesn't, they fired a pretty good coach.'' Woody Paige, Denver Post/ESPN "I'm a Vol-In-Tears. He's probably the sixth or seventh best coach in the league. You've got Meyer, Saban, Spurrier, Miles, Nutt...that's off the top of my head. My candidate was (Jon) Gruden, and if Tennessee had just been patient...A UT strength in the past had been recruiting strong in the Tampa area, north middle Florida and Georgia. Kiffin's strength is in California. Secondly, he took that job in Oakland knowing what Al Davis was, so he hasn't shown me the maturity of being able to be a head coach anywhere. This is all not to say he won't be successful - I hope he can get Tennessee back to prominence. I'm just saying, Tennessee could have hired 100 different coaches. When you're Tennessee, you can do what you did in basketball, when you went out and hired a guy in Bruce Pearl was had proved he could win at any level.'' Ivan Maisel, ESPN.com "It's a big roll of the dice. It's a young guy who is talented, but he's starting out at the top. Ask me in five years what I think, but I think it's a good gamble.'' B.G. Brooks, Rocky Mountain News "In one way I see it as a gamble but he's a fresh face, proven recruiter in college, fresh ideas and I think he made a good stroke in hiring daddy. I think overall it's a good hire.'' Don Coble, Jacksonville Times Union "His biggest challenge is going to be to pump life back into the program. I think he's a great college coach, but he's got to give those 100,000 people something to get crazy about. Tennessee is going to be fine. He's back in a more comfortable element, where he belongs.'' Matt Hayes, The Sporting News "I love it. I love his hires; he realizes it's all about players - players, players, players. That's why USC got so good so quick. Look at Ole Miss and how talented they are. That's all Ed Orgeron. Think about it: who's the favorite in the SEC West next season? Alabama and Ole Miss. When was the last time you heard anyone say they really thought Ole Miss had a chance to win the West - even with Eli Manning. It's all about players. He's made good hires. There were NFL teams who wanted his dad and couldn't get him. I'm impressed.'' Tommy Hicks, Mobile Register "I like the hire of his dad more. But it will be interesting to see how he handles things as a college head coach. Tough league, tough division...tough to say.'' Kelly Whiteside, USA Today "I think it's very surprising -- not being a head coach before, and getting such a high-profile job He's a guy who hasn't proven himself as a head coach, you know?'' Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel "It's a gamble. But why not? He's young, good looking and charasmatic. If he can transfer that into successful recruiting, it will be a great hire. Barry Tramel, Oklahoma City Oklahoman "He's got a good defensive coordinator, that's the best part of it. I don't hold Oakland against him, but I don't think he was the best (Pete) Carroll assistant (at USC). I think they could've done better. I would have hired Brian Kelly.'' Tom Shatel, Omaha World-Leader "I love the Kffin name, but I think it's a reach and I don't think it's a good fit. He's not from the South, I don't think he knows how to recruit to the South. Monte (Kiffin) is the man, but he doesn't know the spread, so there will be an adjustment period. I think (Lane) Kiffin would have been a better fit for Washington.'' Dennis Dodd, CBS Sportsline.com "I think it was an OK hire, he's hiring a great staff, but nothing can prepare you for the culture, the game-day environment and the tradition of the SEC. Guys that have won national championships have gotten out-coached and fired. One day, he'll wake up and say, ``what have I gotten myself into into.'' But that's not to say he might not have success.'' Dick Weiss, New York Daily News "The one thing that impresses me is the people he's bringing with him. Ed Orgeron and his father. I think that will help. But in the end it's his job, and he'll be judged on his wins and losses. The jury is still out on what will happen. He didn't win at Oakland, but he was a successful assistant at Southern Cal. They probably needed a breathe of fresh air in Knoxville.'' Chris Dufresne, L.A. Times "I was mildly shocked by that hire. Interesting hire. Not sure if it will work. He thought the AFC West was tough...wait until he takes on Nick Saban, Urban Meyer, Les Miles and Mark Richt on a regular basis. He may be in over his head.'' Stewart Mandel, SI.Com "I think it's a hard one to read because his only experience as a head coach was in a screwed up situation. I covered him at Southern Cal and had a lot of respect for him as a recruiter. You team him with Ed Orgeron, and it could be a heckuva recruiting match. But the question is, can he coach? Being a coach in the SEC is a CEO job, and while I'm sure he knows his Xs and Os, we'll have to see if he has what it takes to run a major tradition-rich SEC program.'' George Schroeder, FWAA President, Eugene Register Guard "I think Tennessee is a tough job because they don't have a natural recruiting base. If you have to get back into California and recruit nationally, you get a young guy like that who has been in a big-time program. You hope some of that Pete Carroll will rub off in Knoxville. It's not a bad bet, but there's not much of a resume there.'' Joe Schad, ESPN.com "Tennessee hired Kiffin because he's the anti-Fulmer; He's charismatic, energetic, dynamic and aggressive. He'll be a hard working recruiter and he'll stimulate a fanbase that had reached apathy.'' Christine Brennen, USA Today "It makes sense for Lane to go back to college ball. The Raiders didn't work out so good for him. He strikes me as someone who can really coach. Steve Spurrier and Butch Davis are a couple of guys who had some success in college football and went to the pros and failed...Lane wanted to go back to the college game where he feels he belongs. Tennessee is a perfect fit for him. He's trading in his Raiders black and silver for a lot of orange. It's a logical move.'' Herb Gould, Chicago Sun Times "I was more curious about him hiring his dad...Lane Kiffin was the Al Davis flunky. It's a very odd hire to me. I'm a believer in the model you see at Florida and Alabama. You go get the next Urban Meyer, a successful guy at a mid-major program. If the guy hasn't been a head coach before, it's pretty hard to do it at a place like Tennessee.'' Mark Blaudschun, Boston Globe "Interesting pick. I like his potential, but I'd be concerned about his lack of experience. There's a lot of money being paid and I wonder if it's worth it.'' Tony Barnhart, ACJ.com (Atlanta Journal Constitution) "Number One, he's hired a good defensive coordinator; Number Two, he hired one of the better recruiters around in Ed Orgeron. Now, if he can go out and sign a quarterback, he'd have the trifecta. There will be a new energy around that program, but if you saw Tennessee play this year, there was only one Eric Berry, a guy who will be a Hall of Fame NFL player. Lane Kiffin needs to go get a bunch of Eric Berrys. I think the jury is out on how he'll do. You don't know how the players will respond to him or if the transition will be stormy or smooth.'' Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star "I would say Tennessee had better hope this doesn't turn out to be a Bill Callahan hire, and there are some parallels. But the two-fer to get Monte Kiffin makes it worthwhile Monte is one of the great defensive minds in football.'' Pat Forde, ESPN.com "You leap into the unknown to a degree. I like Kiffin, he's putting together a good staff, but he hasn't done it (coached) at this level. It's a tough job that I'm not sure even USC could prepare him for. Five-and-15 with the Raiders didn't light anyone's hair on fire.'' --30--
Back in the 1960s and 1970s, Saturdays in January and February were highlighted by the syndicated SEC television package. If you wanted to see an SEC game on television, this was your chance. Your only chance. There was an occasional doubleheader in later years, but mostly you got John Ferguson and Ed Thilenius or Joe Dean (of "String Music" fame) doing the commentary. It would look primitive by today's standards, but, in those days, that was all we had. It was still black and white, without replays and all the other "stuff" we've grown accustomed to. There had to be a broadcast from every SEC venue, so that meant you might see Georgia at Florida, when Tennessee was at Kentucky or Kentucky at Vanderbilt. You watched what they put on. Two teams, maybe Kentucky and Vanderbilt, might be in the Top 10 and playing Saturday late in the season, but if there hadn't been a telecast from Ole Miss or LSU, watch out. Here came another game from the Parker Agricultural Center (hold your nose) or Tad Smith Coliseum. No one seemed to understand the concept of playing to your strengths or, even, not stepping on your story. When the Vols were on, fans often turned down the TV volume and listened to John Ward (and Lowell Blanchard). That somehow was more comforting. Interestingly, there was the occasional syndicated game, like the UCLA-Houston game in the Astrodome, Elvin Hayes and Lew Alcindor), but not much more. There were years fans only saw one of the semifinal games in the NCAA Tournament. They were played Thursday night, with the finals Saturday afternoon. Now there are games on all day on any number of channels, some good, some not-so-good. Things were simpler, maybe even better, back then in Knoxville, with Channel 6, Channel 10, and Channel 26. In those days, you wished you could see more. Now that you can, it doesn't seem as much fun. Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009
Former Ole Miss placekicker Bob Khayat stepping down as Chancellor of the University of Mississippi was big news across the Magnolia State, but there's also a Tennessee connection as well. Khayat was a much-honored kicker at Ole Miss, coming from Moss Point to Oxford. The story about the announcement of his retiring said, "he led the nation in scoring by a kicker in 1958 and 1959, the only player in school history to do so in consecutive seasons. He also earned Academic All-American and Academic All-SEC honors in 1959." Here's the Tennessee connection. Tennessee was on its way to a 4-6 season in 1958, and No. 7 Ole Miss was headed to the Cotton Bowl, when the two teams squared off at Shield-Watkins Field Nov. 15 before a crowd estimated at 27,100. Ole Miss was a decided favorite, 14 points in downtown Knoxville, but was letting the Vols hang around in the fourth quarter. Tennessee led 18-16 late in the game, after tailback Gene Etter ran 76 yards for a TD, losing his shoe near midfield in the process. "Bless his heart," Bowden Wyatt said. "That's all that I can say -- Bless his heart." Ole Miss did not give up easily and had a 20-yard field goal at the south end to win the game. Khayat was the kicker. Chattanooga's Doug Jones, who is always at the ready with some "inside information," said that he saw former Ole Miss running back Kent Lovelace years later and asked him about the finish of the game, when Bob missed the field goal, thus costing the Rebels the game. The Rebels, with a bid to the Cotton Bowl seemingly in their pocket, ended up at the Gator Bowl, defeating Florida. Doug said Lovelace recalled looking at teammate Charley Flowers in the huddle, saying something like we played the worst game we could and would win once Bob kicked the field goal. Then he missed. Khayat became a legendary figure on campus, serving as Chancellor since Jan. 1, 1995, and nothing in the story mentioned Khayat's worst day as a Rebel. The game turned the series with Tennessee around, the Rebels winning decisively over the next few years, 37-7 the next year at Crump Stadium, being a prime example. It was 1967 before the Vols would win again. Here's some perspective. Had Etter followed the same career path and assumed a similar role at Tennessee, you can bet your last dollar that his run against Ole Miss that season would have been near the top of the story when he was hired and when he retired. Vol fans rarely forget the guys who make the game-winning plays. Monday, Jan. 12, 2009