It was announced on Black Friday former USC offensive coordinator and Oakland Raiders head coach Lane Kiffin will take over the reins at the University of Tennessee for the departing Philip Fulmer.

Even though I was not shocked at the announcement, I was rather suprised that Mike Hamilton settled on Kiffin, making him the youngest coach in major college football. In terms of success, all we know about Kiffin is that he was the co-offensive coordinator at USC with Steve Sarkisian, where the offenses posted great numbers in 2005 and 2006, with the likes of NFL talent like Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, Lendale White, Dewayne Jarrett, and Steve Smith.

Al Davis then took a gamble on the young Kiffin, naming him the youngest coach in the history of the National Football League when he led the 2007 Oakland Raiders to a 4-12 season, and was 1-3 at the time of his firing this season.

Now, that we know a little about who Lane Kiffin is, let’s examine his hiring:

Before fans jump off the Kiffin and Mike Hamilton bandwagon, it is important to see how his staff shapes up. This is the most important aspect of a head coach. Most successful head coaches have a tremendous staff, and this has to be Kiffin’s first priority.

It intrigues me that Monte Kiffin, Lane’s father and veteran NFL defensive coordinator, could be coming to Knoxville. Any time you can get one of the most respected defensive minds in football, it would be huge. Known for the “Tampa 2” and a relentless, attacking style, the elder Kiffin has the tools to keep the Tennessee defense in the top 10 of the national ranks.

It has also been rumored that former Mississippi coach Ed Orgeron could be coming to Knoxville. I like this for one simple reason: the man can flat out recruit. Even though he obviously cannot run a program, Houston Nutt is sure having fun with all that talent Orgeron left behind at Ole Miss. Let Orgeron motivate the defensive line and recruit across the southeast, and the talent level at Tennessee should increase.

The tricky part of Kiffin is how to approach the offense. Kiffin has made his name as an offensive coach. He worked with Jeff Tedford while a student-assistant at Fresno State, and, as perviously mentioned, he helped coordinate the dynamic and explosive offenses at USC. Also in the NFL, the Raiders showed imporvement in all offensive cateogories from the 2006 season to the 2007 season (when Kiffin coached). They went from 32nd in points per game and yards, to 23rd and 25th in the categories respectively, which shows the steady improvement. It is important for Kiffin to come in fast, keep the solid recruiting class Fulmer has already put together this year, and get the offense heading in the right direction.

Mike Hamilton might have shocked some Tennesse fans when the announcement was made Lane Kiffin will be the next head coach at Tennessee. This hire will bring lots of criticism, but the facts need to be examined.

Lane Kiffin is a young, personable head coach, much like Mark Reict when he was hired at Georgia. If Kiffin can bring in the right staff, I think this could turn out to be a good hire. However, if we see three or fours years of mediocrity, Tennessee could be the latest traditional program to implement the revolving door at head coach.

DRang

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