Talking Points: Lane Kiffin hearts Pahokee, Pahokee hearts Lane

by Joel on Jun 19, 2009 7:32 AM EDT in Rocky Top Talking Points Comment 17 comments

Go ahead and shoot, Mr. Principal, because I can't help it that I love your players!

Tennessee football

So much for Pahokee blowback. Tennessee has 58 players from Florida at its camp this week, including 13 from Pahokee High School. Among all of the noise in the Great Lane Kiffin Debate, my answer to someone's question about the possible effect of Kiffin's Pahokee comment painted a picture of the prim and proper high school girlfriend looking out her bedroom window as her dangerous boyfriend shouts sweet somethings at the house despite the overprotective father telling him to get off his property with a loaded shotgun. But Daaaaadd. He looooves me! Can't you see that?

Also at the camp today is Jesse Scroggins and several other VHTs, including Jeff Luc, the nation's best prospect at linebacker.
Get this guy. Got. Wes Rucker has a nice feature on UT linebackers coach Lance Thompson, which includes the following quotes from the first and third heads of the Chimera:

"When we first started getting out there and recruiting, we just kept hearing Lance Thompson's name," Kiffin said. "It seemed like every coach and every player and every family knew him and liked him ... and eventually, it got to the point where I said, 'OK, I've got to meet this guy.'"

. . . .

"I called Lane immediately and said, 'We've got to get this guy,'" Monte said. "If he recruits like you say he does, and he knows football like he just showed me, we've got to have him."

It's all the rage. Ghost of Neyland relives the top 5 Tennessee games for which he's been in attendance.

More Tennessee week at TSK. Team Speed Kills predicts 7-5 overall and 3-5 in the SEC for the 2009 Tennessee team with losses to Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Ole Miss, and one other, possibly South Carolina, which they list as a push.

Well that was more difficult than it should have been. With the Mark Smith finally resolved, it appears that Aaron Ausmus will indeed be joining the Tennessee staff as its strength and conditioning coach. Ausmus was on the Southern Cal staff with both Ed Orgeron and Lane Kiffin.

Even Brian is talking cheese, calling Swindle's one-way wager exceptionally unwise:

Three years? I, like the rest of the sports blogosphere without a closet full of dayglo orange, am convinced that Lane Kiffin is going to break John L Smith's records for hilarious failure, but even John L Smith lasted four years at State. Maybe if Kiffin was inheriting an unwrecked car, and maybe if he was at a place that had a quick trigger finger, this would be plausible, but, man… it's really hard to get fired in three years.*

*(I'd like Notre Dame fans to know that I excised a terribly funny Willingham-at-ND cheapshot here. Let's hold hands and get ice cream.)

ESPN's front page right now is featuring former Tennessee defensive coordinator (and current LSU DC) John Chavis. Best of luck to Chief, except when he plays us.

Tennessee basketball

Bruce Pearl will be serving as an expert analyst for the upcoming NBA Draft on NBA TV and NBA.com.

SEC

Smart Football pens another excellent post, this one Auburn's new running game under Gus Malzahn with an emphasis on the counter play.

Around SB Nation goes up later today, probably lunchtime.

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I am going to remember all the Kiffin doubters

And when he turns out to be quite successful — even if that is three years from now — I am going to be a very sore winner. I am going to be the guy that says “I told you so.”

by kidbourbon on Jun 19, 2009 9:05 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

3 years...

don’t hold your breath on that one…

‘When you build a house and you make it hurricane-proof by putting certain kinds of windows in it, and use cement instead of stick construction and all that kind of stuff, you’re getting prepared for what? A hurricane that may or may never every come." ’We’re going to have 12 hurricanes next year, we know they’re coming.’
- Coach Nick Saban

by bammer on Jun 19, 2009 2:19 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually, it'd take a lot for 3 years not to happen.

First, there’s the buyout, which is heavily front-loaded. Getting released before then would be a huge financial burden that the AD will want to avoid.

But second, Hamilton’s job is on the line with Kiffin. If the new staff doesn’t pan out, Hamilton could very well be on his way out, even if baseball joins basketball as one of his success stories. I have no doubt that Hamilton will give Kiffin every possible opportunity to succeed as it makes good financial sense as well as good job security sense.

Those will hold water so long as Kiffin is merely adequate in the first two years. If the program appears to be in good shape in the third year, Kiffin will be around for the 4th.

by Hooper on Jun 19, 2009 2:23 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

You really don't think Kiffin will be at UT in 3 years? Really?

Official MCM Hater!

by gramsey712 on Jun 19, 2009 4:37 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

if he

doesnt produce or at least improve greatly in three years (which is about how long it should take) then yes i don’t think he will be here in three years….

Ya got to remember…UF is flying high and i dont see anyone unseating them in the east anytime soon…with or without tebow

Your biggest rival in the west (or in all of the sec) has a good three year start on you…and just went 12-0 last year….oh yeah and two #1 recruiting classes in a row….(i know Kiffin pulled in a top 10 class his first go but so did Saban at UA)

UGA, though not formidable, is a strong 2nd behind UF….UT is starting out at 4th in the east

Combine all that together and its going to be a long haul for Kiffin. IF he cant beat UF or Alabama…and struggles to come in 2nd….UT won’t stand for it for more than say….3-4 years.

Of course this is just my opinion..im sure you guys have seen something over the last 8 months that would tell you he’s going to be successful…oh wait… :)

by bammer on Jun 19, 2009 7:11 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

12-2*

Fixed that for you.

1) UF
2) UGA
3) ???
4) UT

by rblakeh on Jun 19, 2009 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

what exactly was UT's record last year??

And right now i would put USC right behind UGA. UT is a team that needs a lot of help. ITs going to take more than just a new coach to fix yalls problem (s).

And im not the only with that opinion. Most of the preseason mags (which you will probably say mean nothing) have UT at 4th place.

by bammer on Jun 19, 2009 10:28 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm really not worried about...

Kiffin turning out to be a Shula, Dubose, or Mike Price…..

We’ll be alright. Worry about your cheaters down there in Tuscaloosa while you still have a football team to watch.

Tennessee WILL beat Georgia on the way to 9+ wins in '09!!!

by VolBrian on Jun 19, 2009 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Matter of fact

I would be willing to place a wager that Kiffin will be at Tennessee longer than Saban will be at Alabama from here on. We both know he of the short-man syndrome will hop on to another job as soon as somebody waves another bag of cash at him.

Enjoy it while you can.

Tennessee WILL beat Georgia on the way to 9+ wins in '09!!!

by VolBrian on Jun 19, 2009 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm a little leery about holding last year's record against Kiffin when last year was the final straw that brought about the hiring of Kiffin.

The entire point of Kiffin being here is last year’s record. (Not solely the record, obviously, but last year sums up every argument used to hire him.)

With that said, a preseason placement of 4th is actually beneficial toward Kiffin’s prospects of hanging around for a while. With people thinking 4th, then anything better than that will be seen as a positive. Here, perception will be a relative rather than an absolute.

It was also the reason that Alabama’s win over Clemson last year was so stunning at the time. The perception said that shouldn’t have happened. In full seasonal hindsight, that win wasn’t as impressive as it was the day after.

by Hooper on Jun 19, 2009 11:12 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

looking from the outside in

My biggest worry (not that i care that much :) is the defense. If Old Kiffin attempts the Tampa 2 defense in the SEC i believe it will fail. That D is made to stop high powered passing offenses of the NFL..not the heavy smash mouth running games of the SEC. His defenses weren’t so effective the last 4 years and id be worried that his d won’t transfer to the SEC…

As for low expectations…you’re completely right. Being in 4th to start things out is a great place to start. You’re not going to be as bad as UK or Vandy in three years but its going to take a lot to unseat UF or us for that matter.

by bammer on Jun 20, 2009 8:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

"the heavy smash mouth running games of the SEC"

Wow. Do you remember when that phrase was used exclusively for the Big 10?

To be honest, I think much of the running-game perception of the SEC is the lack of premier quarterback. Even accounting for Meyer’s and Saban’s offensive strategies, I feel that this is a league that would much prefer to pass the ball more often.

But there is a point there. The T2 was designed first to account for the passing game. Based on the recruiting we’ve had for defensive line for the next couple of years, I think we’ll be in good shape up front, and that eases most of my concerns. It’ll be interesting to see how the transition from a ‘contain’ defense to an ‘attack’ defense changes things, though.

by Hooper on Jun 20, 2009 10:00 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs