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How Lane Kiffin got exactly what he wanted (continued)
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Kiffin's hiring raises legitimate questions about whether he's a good fit for a job in the SEC, especially since he doesn't appear to have any prior connections to the school or the region. (As a coach's son, he moved around as a kid, graduated from high school in Minnesota and played college football at Fresno State.)
Still, Kiffin has proven that he can recruit quality players from anywhere in the country, plucking All-American wide receivers Mike Williams and Dwayne Jarrett out of Florida and New Jersey, respectively, and stealing Parade All-American Patrick Turner from Tennessee's backyard (Nashville) in 2005. After Pete Carroll's initial recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron left to take over the helm at Ole Miss, Kiffin took over and the Trojans didn't miss a beat, continuing to bring in top-ranked classes in 2006 and 2007 under his leadership.
Many observers have noted that Tennessee's recent struggles coincided with the 2001 hiring of Mark Richt at Georgia, who was able to interrupt the flow of talent from the Peach State to Knoxville Fulmer and his staff exploited throughout the 90s. If anyone can rebuild that vital pipeline, it's Kiffin, who, thanks to Davis, can now boast of NFL experience that Richt and most other coaches in the SEC don't have.
In fact, things appear to have worked out perfectly for Kiffin. Less than two years after taking a job in Oakland that no one wanted, he is being handed the reins at one of the biggest football schools in the country. Compare that to his former co-coordinator Sarkisian, who turned down the Raiders job and is still directing the offense for USC. Though he is often mentioned as a candidate for open positions at schools like Washington, Sarkisian has no head coaching experience and will have a hard time competing with successful head coaches from mid-major or non-traditional football powers for the best available jobs this year.
Kiffin, on the other hand, has parlayed the same opportunity from Davis into the head coaching position at a school just 10 years removed from its most recent national championship. WIth everything he's learned from Pete Carroll, his father Monte (who my join him in Knoxville) and the experience of coaching in the NFL, it would come as no surprise to see Tennessee contending for the SEC title again very soon.
After all, Lane Kiffin knows how to get what he wants.
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