Lane Kiffin to USC

[AuburnChopper 3.0]

FYI - Brandon Willis is Marcus Lattimore's teamate at Byrnes...

Also, another de-committ... A.J. Johnson LB...

If the don't have a home-run hire in the next few days, that entire class will probably fall apart.  

Agreed.  Happening quick already.  Evidently, Orgeron's texting and telling early enrollee's went over like a lead balloon.  Kids are pissed.

[Tiger Wench]

FYI - Brandon Willis is Marcus Lattimore's teamate at Byrnes...

Also, another de-committ... A.J. Johnson LB...

Agreed.  Happening quick already.  Evidently, Orgeron's texting and telling early enrollee's went over like a lead balloon.  Kids are pissed.

No worries.  All Big O has to do is rip his shirt off, right?  RIGHT???

And they lose their DC too... Monte was the best part of that staff.

[Token]

 Evidently, Orgeron's texting and telling early enrollee's went over like a lead balloon.  Kids are pissed.

My question is, what did those assholes really think would happen given the circumstances?  They hired a cocksucker and let him assemble his cocksucking staff. 

It's reaping time.

[Token]

FYI - Brandon Willis is Marcus Lattimore's teamate at Byrnes...

Also, another de-committ... A.J. Johnson LB...

Michael Taylor has switched his commitment from UT to Florida.

[Token]

[jadennis]

This could be good for Auburn recruiting.  Corey Lemonier, one of our top remaining targets had Tennessee at or near the top of his list after the visit he just took.

There are also about 6-7 other Tennessee recruits we had interest in at one time (including recently committed Ahmad Dixon).  Dixon will likely be going for a record....he committed to Texas, then Baylor, now Tennessee, and will likely end up somewhere else.  That will make four different schools.  Kind of makes me not want him and makes me understand how he ended up at Tennessee (with another flaky douche).

[Kaos]

A few things about this that bother me.  

1) Shelly Smith.  ESPN had her on last night and noted that "she spends a great deal of time around the USC program."  Why?  Which SEC team has its own pet reporter?  Do any of the former national champion teams, including the douchebag Tide or the scummy Gators have an ESPN reporter assigned to follow their every move?  Why should USC, a decent team which traditionally underachieved in the pussy Pac-10 and which was beset with as much thuggery and rampant disrespect for NCAA rules as the 'Canes in their heyday, deserve to have that kind of media presence?

2) The deification of Ed Orgeron.  Over the last 14 hours I've heard his return to USC hailed as the most critical part of the Kiffin hire.  He's been praised as the nation's greatest living recruiter and praised as a top coaching mind.  Really?  Seriously?  He's a yammering toad.  

3) The elevation of Kiffin.  I said I thought he probably did a better job first year than Chizik because his team improved week to week.  But even that was a close call -- and you all know I don't think Chizik was so super-de-dooper. Now I see ESPN leaping on the Kiffin bandwagon as if he was Jesus bringing a dead LazaVol back from the dead.  He did an adequate job at Tennessee and had the potential to do more (although I think Gran's hasty exit indicates that things there might not have been done in the right and ethical way).  Had Chizik been poached by the Trojans (pardon me while I catch my breath after laughing myself silly) I think the media reaction would have been a massive WHAT THE FUCKING FUCK, USC IS DOOMED!  But there's not that much difference, really, between what the two guys have done historically.

4) Will Muschamp. I'm sick of seeing his name attached to every coaching search in the country.  A little arrogance on UT's part to check off Muschamp, Bill Parcells, Gary Patterson and every other top shelf coach as if they will just pick and choose who get the honor of dressing up like a Flintstones push-up pop.

5) Kiffin's press conference.  "We left this program better off than we found it 14 months ago."  Really?  He should have just skulked out of town and not done that.  Really poor form on his part.  As for Orgeron texting the guys and asking them not to go to class?  That's lowdown.  Somebody should beat that caveman with a rubber hose.

6) Norm Chow.  Used to respect the guy.  If he walks from UCLA to go back to USC?  Fuck him, his ancestors and descendants.

[No Huddle]

6) Norm Chow.  Used to respect the guy.  If he walks from UCLA to go back to USC?  phuk him, his ancestors and descendants.

WOW!

[jmar]

I'm not much on conspiracies, but there seems to be something sinister at play here if the NCAA is supposed to be doing its job and ESPN is chummying up to this guy and crowning him emperor.I knew when I saw the guy at the table as a special commentator for the NC game that something queer was going on. This originated in Pasadena and the two sides have been ironing it out since. I thought ESPN coronated Saban. Bammers's can't even celebrate properly. No respect.

[jadennis]

I haven't seen the love-fest with Kiffin from ESPN that you speak of.  Most of what I have heard and seen is along the lines of Pat Forde's article this morning...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4820927

Here are the first few paragraphs...

At this rate, Lane Kiffin is an 8-5 season at USC away from a $50 million contract to coach Peyton Manning and the Colts.

Seriously, why not? Why wouldn't he just keep rising up the coaching ranks on the basis of nothing much at all? If a 31-year-old with no head-coaching experience can get the Oakland Raiders job, and a guy who got fired from that job after losing 15 of 20 games can get the Tennessee job, and a guy who went 7-6 in a reckless first season in Knoxville can get the USC job … is there any rung of the sport to which Kiffin cannot climb?

I mean, what if he actually does something impressive as a coach? Win a conference title and they might just fast-track him into the Hall of Fame.

Paris Hilton has paid more dues than Lane Kiffin.

Kiffin comes across as a guy who was born on third base and acts as if he hit a triple -- but given the way people have thrown good jobs and big money at him, it's hard to blame him for thinking he's the next Knute Rockne.

[Kaos]

I haven't seen the love-fest with Kiffin from ESPN that you speak of.  Most of what I have heard and seen is along the lines of Pat Forde's article this morning...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=4820927

Here are the first few paragraphs...

I watched ESPN some last night and again this morning.  Consensus from the ones they interviewed?  Grand slam home run for USC, horrible blow to Tennessee.

Joe Schaad (another ESPN reporter assigned to the Trojans apparently, how many do they need?), Shelly (my face is the size of a pizza pan) Smith and some newspaper guy from Knoxville (what? Tennessee doesn't have a cadre of reporters from ESPN) were the ones I remember.  But there were others.

[jadennis]

And don't forget, Kiffin wasn't USC's first choice.  Guys like Jeff Fisher and Jack Del Rio weren't interested, and apparently neither was Mike Riley from Oregon State (probably doesn't want to walk into Hollywood and an NCAA investigation).

The day Carroll took the Seahawks job I thought Kiffin would be one of the first two options (along with Sarkisian at Washington) to go back to USC to keep things going in the mold of the Carroll era.  If it made immediate sense to me, why do we suspect some conspiracy in him going back there?  

[jadennis]

I watched ESPN some last night and again this morning.  Consensus from the ones they interviewed?  Grand slam home run for USC, horrible blow to Tennessee.

And I totally agree.  Like I posted last night, he went 7-5 in the regular season with a completely worthless QB and against defenses that knew their one job was to stop Hardesty.  I thought they did well for a first year staff....and look at the recruiting class they put together.  If they continue to recruit like that at USC, they will, absolutely will, still be the leaders of the Pac 10.

And it is a blow to Tennessee.  Again, look at the recruiting class they just put together.  A couple years in the system (both sides of the ball) with a huge influx in talent, and Tennessee was on their way back to competing in the SEC.

I'm not sure why "home run for USC" and "big blow to Tennessee" is off target.

I reemphasize the "first year staff" part.  I list this all the time....because it's relevant.  Tressell's first year at Ohio State, 7-5.  Second year, 14-0.  Stoop's first year at Oklahoma, 7-5. Second year, 13-0.  Carroll's first year at USC, 6-6.  Second year, 11-2.  No matter who you are, it is typically difficult to win big in your first year.  It usually just takes a year to get going.  This doesn't mean Kiffin was about to go 11-2.  The point is that you can't take a whole lot from the 7-5 record. 

Again, I think 7-5 with what he had was pretty good.  And what he'll have at USC is light years ahead of what he had at Tennessee....and he won't be playing an SEC schedule.

[Kaos]

And I totally agree.  Like I posted last night, he went 7-5 in the regular season with a completely worthless QB and against defenses that knew their one job was to stop Hardesty.  I thought they did well for a first year staff....and look at the recruiting class they put together.  If they continue to recruit like that at USC, they will, absolutely will, still be the leaders of the Pac 10.

And it is a blow to Tennessee.  Again, look at the recruiting class they just put together.  A couple years in the system (both sides of the ball) with a huge influx in talent, and Tennessee was on their way back to competing in the SEC.

I'm not sure why "home run for USC" and "big blow to Tennessee" is off target.

Nobody said anything about their being any conspiracy at all, only that ESPN seems to waste a lot of talent following the Trojans around.

Don't have enough evidence to say whether Kiffin's hire/departure will have a meaningful positive or negative impact on either school.  His resume is woefully short.  I fail to understand the rush to deification just because he chose to return to the renegades on the left coast.  He wasn't being deified by ESPN for his work at Tennessee prior.

[jmar]

Boy Al Davis must feel like Old Man Potter in It's a Wonderful Life.

The C word might fit in this instance. Just Sayin.

How is it that everyone except the west coast thinks this guy is a poopy pantsed upstart?

His Dad is his resume.

And ORGERON. WTF!

[jadennis]

Boy Al Davis must feel like Old Man Potter in It's a Wonderful Life.

The C word might fit in this instance. Just Sayin.

How is it that everyone except the west coast thinks this guy is a poopy pantsed upstart?

His Dad is his resume.

And ORGERON. WTF!

I'm telling you....we're letting shirt ripping and things like that distract us from the fact that Orgeron, while not remotely anything I want Auburn ever associated with, is a good recruiter and a good defensive line coach.  He just is, there isn't much of a way around it.  Look at what Nutt used to win 18 games the last two years...all Orgeron talent....especially d-line talent.

He's wacko, and someone I like to laugh at....but he gets his job done and the results are often very, very good.

[Buzz Killington]

I'm telling you....we're letting shirt ripping and things like that distract us from the fact that Orgeron, while not remotely anything I want Auburn ever associated with, is a good recruiter and a good defensive line coach.  He just is, there isn't much of a way around it.  Look at what Nutt used to win 18 games the last two years...all Orgeron talent....especially d-line talent.

He's wacko, and someone I like to laugh at....but he gets his job done and the results are often very, very good.

How about texting the early signees and telling them not to go to class?

[jmar]

I'm telling you....we're letting shirt ripping and things like that distract us from the fact that Orgeron, while not remotely anything I want Auburn ever associated with, is a good recruiter and a good defensive line coach.  He just is, there isn't much of a way around it.  Look at what Nutt used to win 18 games the last two years...all Orgeron talent....especially d-line talent.

He's wacko, and someone I like to laugh at....but he gets his job done and the results are often very, very good.

I know the guy can recruit but he isn't exactly a huge name. Are they running promos on this A-Team they hired?

[jadennis]

How about texting the early signees and telling them not to go to class?

What do you mean?  He's a classless dirty douche....no debating that (which is why I said I'd never want anyone like him anywhere near Auburn)...my point was that in spite of that, he is a very good recruiter and defensive line coach.  As a person?  Clown.  But when it comes to the functions of his job...he brings good results.

[Kaos]

 But when it comes to the functions of his job...he brings good results.

Ole Miss fans called.  They said you can kiss their AYASSS!