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Vols officials not laughing at Kiffin's miscues

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The past 10 days have offered a comedy of errors by new Tennessee football Coach Lane Kiffin, but neither the university, Southeastern Conference nor the NCAA are laughing. Barely 10 weeks after being hired as Tennessee football coach, Kiffin mistakenly accused Florida Coach Urban Meyer of a recruiting violation, then was found by UT officials to have committed three minor recruiting violations of his own. The gaffes captured headlines in sports pages across the country and are raising questions about whether the 33-year-old former Oakland Raiders head coach has a sufficient grasp of college recruiting rules or the enormity of his role as the top guy at a major college program. It's possible that some of the practices that landed Kiffin in hot water were brought from his stint as a successful recruiter at Southern Cal, where he was instrumental in helping land Heisman Trophy winners Reggie Bush, Matt Leinart and Carson Palmer. Coincidentally, the University of Washington self-reported a secondary violation last month after head football Coach Steve Sarkisian used a fog machine as recruits ran onto the football field during their visit there. Sarkisian and Kiffin were on the same coaching staff at USC from 2001-06.

Tennessean

Lane Kiffin, AP Lane Kiffin, AP
February 15, 2009  10:16 AM ET

If he wins they will get over it in a hurry.

February 15, 2009  10:36 AM ET

I don't know why but his picture above reminds me of Alfred E. Neumann's "What, me worry?"

February 15, 2009  10:41 AM ET

Vols fans don't have the sense to know what a clown they have as a coach. Guess that's because he fits in so well with all the others around there.

February 15, 2009  11:04 AM ET

I'll bet they're not laughing. This guy is making a laughingstock out of that program. If his team performs poorly on the field, and they would need much more discipline than their coach not to, Kiffin could have one of the shortest careers ever as a head coach.

If I were his bosses at UT, I'd be breathing down his neck right now and letting him know that playtime is OVER. This has to be embarrassing to the Vols faithful. They deserve better.

February 15, 2009  11:36 AM ET

Exactly right 50.... Winning games will cure all of this.... Hopefully his team is ready to go in September... Otherwise.... The UT staff will have egg all over their faces

February 15, 2009  11:36 AM ET

Kiffin better hope his team wins a bunch of games because I gotta believe he's on a short leash of his own making. This could be nothing more than another case of sonnny boy living off the laurals of his family name. But so far, all he's managed to do in his short tenure is to embarass himself and Tennessee. At least Fulmer wasn't this STUPID!

February 15, 2009  11:47 AM ET

I can't wait to see Urban Meyer thump this fool for all his antics.

February 15, 2009  11:56 AM ET

'It's possible that some of the practices that landed Kiffin in hot water were brought from his stint as a successful recruiter at Southern Cal'

The NCAA has done nothing concerning questionable practices at USC. Are we to believe that Tennessee will be treated any different?

February 15, 2009  12:20 PM ET

A fog machine is a recruiting violation? Thats a bit steep don't ya think?

I'll reiterate what others have said, "winning cures everything".

February 15, 2009  12:26 PM ET
QUOTE(#1):

If he wins they will get over it in a hurry.

Kiffin has a part missing somewhere. I`m not at all sure id let my Kid go to Rocky top and have a Nutcase like Insane Lane be responsible for him

February 15, 2009  12:31 PM ET
QUOTE(#10):

Kiffin has a part missing somewhere. I`m not at all sure id let my Kid go to Rocky top and have a Nutcase like Insane Lane be responsible for him

Your dead on! This guy is so irresponsible, who would let their kid play for a guy who will tell them to lie, act like an idiot, and make up for it with false speeches. This guy is on the hook big and he has pissed everyone in the league off. If you don't think every coach has got the Tennessee game marked on the calendar your not bright. Richt wants a piece of him, Saban wants some, Miles wants some, Spurrier wants some, and Urban wants some. Tennessee is going to get rocked hard next season and it's not fair to the kids.

February 15, 2009  12:32 PM ET
QUOTE(#7):

I can't wait to see Urban Meyer thump this fool for all his antics.

Yea, because that would be such an accomplishment.. not.

February 15, 2009  12:44 PM ET
QUOTE(#4):

I'll bet they're not laughing. This guy is making a laughingstock out of that program. If his team performs poorly on the field, and they would need much more discipline than their coach not to, Kiffin could have one of the shortest careers ever as a head coach.If I were his bosses at UT, I'd be breathing down his neck right now and letting him know that playtime is OVER. This has to be embarrassing to the Vols faithful. They deserve better.

Oh Please! C'mon, The infractions are ridiculous and yes you can throw in absurd and hideous..they be should be rolling their eyes about this...making positive comments about an collegiate athletes on the radio talk show before he commits is not harmful to anyone. I do support/condone a lot of the rules and recruiting regulations for college athletes but there's a lot I don't...a fog machine???!! big deal!!...this is nothing compared to what you hear about when top recruits land on campuses across the country from stretch limousines to call girls/strippers and wild parties etc.. If you're going to split hairs about something so minuscule as this, then FSU should have received the death penalty for the test cheating scandal a few years ago...I hope Kiffin wins and makes it at Tennessee. I think he's already spiced it up...and as college football fan I'll be sure to watch how he does in 09 ESPECIALLY against Florida...maybe he's just a younger version whine bag Spurrier. Spurrier p.i.s.s.e.s.off coaches all the time[ala Kiffin to Myers comment]. All Kiffin needs to do is "Just win baby"[and I think he will] all this goes away...but if he doesn't, next...

February 15, 2009  12:45 PM ET

Sure comes off cocksure and arrogant...only the future will tell us if it is/was genius

February 15, 2009  12:49 PM ET
QUOTE(#14):

Sure comes off cocksure and arrogant...

Fits real well in the SEC don't you think?

February 15, 2009  01:24 PM ET
QUOTE(#13):

Oh Please! C'mon, The infractions are ridiculous and yes you can throw in absurd and hideous..they be should be rolling their eyes about this...making positive comments about an collegiate athletes on the radio talk show before he commits is not harmful to anyone. I do support/condone a lot of the rules and recruiting regulations for college athletes but there's a lot I don't...a fog machine???!! big deal!!...this is nothing compared to what you hear about when top recruits land on campuses across the country from stretch limousines to call girls/strippers and wild parties etc.. If you're going to split hairs about something so minuscule as this, then FSU should have received the death penalty for the test cheating scandal a few years ago...I hope Kiffin wins and makes it at Tennessee. I think he's already spiced it up...and as college football fan I'll be sure to watch how he does in 09 ESPECIALLY against Florida...maybe he's just a younger version whine bag Spurrier. Spurrier p.i.s.s.e.s.off coaches all the time[ala Kiffin to Myers comment]. All Kiffin needs to do is "Just win baby"[and I think he will] all this goes away...but if he doesn't, next...

Calm down. Relax. Breathe. Now, read my post again. I never called for any NCAA action against UT or Mr. Kiffin. I did not say that these are unforgivable violations. The only serious thing he's done is to call out Urban Meyer as a cheater when, in fact, he wasn't. Other than that, the "violations" he's committed are as ticky-tack as it gets.

HOWEVER - now pay attention 'cause this is the important part - when taken as a WHOLE, these continued missteps look BAD. These violations did not occur in a vacuum. It is the TOTALITY of his actions that must be taken into account. I wouldn't call Mr. Kiffin a cheater, I'd call him reckless and irresponsible. And, as I said, UT deserves better than that.

February 15, 2009  01:40 PM ET

They hypocrisy of Lan Kiffin seems never ending.... next we're gonna hear he's blackmailing Al Davis.... I used to feel sorry for this guy...wow

February 15, 2009  02:22 PM ET

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February 15, 2009  02:43 PM ET

This is what happens when you send a boy to do a man's job.

 
February 15, 2009  02:57 PM ET

The press is on him and the Vols. I think this is programed by him. Hope it doesn't back-fire like the Weis soap opera has.

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