As the season draws near, it is time to stop pretending that this is a no lose situation for the Tennessee coaching staff. Yes, Lane Kiffin is young, and there is little doubt that his bloodline has offered rare career opportunities for a person of his age. I believe that it takes at least 5 years to learn to do a job well. When you begin your career at the top, 5 years is not a luxury generally afforded to you. There will be a learning curve for Lane, but only he can determine how steep that will be.
There is little doubt that he learned a tremendous amount from his time with USC and the Raiders; however, lingering doubts about his leadership abilities remain. These doubts cannot be answered by simply drawing recruits. That is not to say that the recruits are not important. Lane is opening his new chapter behind the 8-ball with the talent deficit he faces. Other than the disparity of overall talent, most would agree the “stars aligned” for Lane Kiffin with this Tennessee job.
Some have speculated that this is a grand experiment for Kiffin The Young, and that if he fails, he will simply pack his bags and coach in a more desirable location. I vehemently disagree with that assumption. This is not a no lose proposition by any means
His dad is on his staff, and he has assembled an all star cast of coaching recruiters. An assembly of coaches like this is definitely a rarity. He is a head coach in the most competitive conference in college football, and the collective eyes of the college football world are on Lane. With this job and his supporting cast he has an opportunity to prove himself on a very transparent, national stage. If Kiffin doesn’t get the job done with such a favorable staff, it will be a tremendous hit to his career goals, and it will quickly diminish opportunities for advancement.
That is not to say that he won’t find work, but Kiffin is an alpha dog. He doesn’t want to be a quarterback coach. He wants to be a head man. If he does not have success with this Tennessee program he may never have another opportunity to step out of his father’s shadow.
Consider these facts. Al Davis may be nuts, but that doesn’t change Kiffin’s overall record with the Raiders. It doesn’t reflect the record of an elite coach.
When you look at what USC fans a players have said about Kiffin, you get a mixed bag of responses ranging from “He was riding Sarkasian’s and Chow’s coattails” and “he was a cocky coach that the players disrespected” to “he was an offensive genius that the players loved and respected.”
Considering where he has been, it is foolish to pretend that Lane has nothing to prove.
You know what people say about being on top (by people, I mean those who aren’t perverse). There is only one way to go, and that is down. Lane Kiffin will have career opportunities in front of him after his tenure at the University of Tennessee, but it is time to stop pretending that his career will not take a significant hit if he doesn’t help resurrect this Vol program.
Lane is putting his coaching reputation on the line with UT. We all hope the Vol’s performance on the field will reflect it.
Until next time, Go Vols!