It’s time for Tennessee to take a chance. The only way to salvage the Vols’ coaching search is to be risky.
The obvious choice that is setting social media on fire is to hire Lane Kiffin. In order for that to happen, egos will have to be set aside, which likely won’t happen. UT athletic director John Currie and super boosters Jim and Jimmy Haslam were surely embarrassed and hurt when Kiffin bolted for Southern California in the middle of the night after one season. They’d all have to leave their pride on the negotiating table.
Moreover, former UT coach Phillip Fulmer would certainly have to forgive and forget. It’s unclear just how much say he has in the hire since he’s just an ambassador in place for fund raising. He surely isn’t a Kiffin fan since he was Fulmer’s replacement. Fulmer isn’t the athletic director but he has some say, especially with the Haslams.
Fulmer hasn’t spoken publicly on the hire, but it’s obvious there’s still some hurt feelings there. Former UT quarterback Erik Ainge, who played for Fulmer, recently got in a Twitter exchange with Kiffin and said he didn’t want him to return because “you suck”. Ainge is an admitted homer and very likely a mouthpiece for UT and Fulmer. His odd reaction said a lot about how UT feels about Kiffin. With all due respect to Fulmer, his feelings shouldn’t be considered in any potential hire and neither should Ainge, who will fall in line with any hire the Vols make.
UT’s fans must also be considered. They were hurt when Kiffin left. However, based on the response I’ve seen, the majority of fans would support a Kiffin hire after watching UT’s hiring process become a debacle. The rest would eventually fall in line as fans do with any coach. Remember the support that Derek Dooley and Butch Jones had early in their careers.
There’s no question in my mind that Kiffin would win at a high level at Tennessee. However, the egos and pride probably won’t allow it to happen.
Kiffin could also bring along former UT quarterback Tee Martin, who is the offensive coordinator at Southern California. The two coached together at USC. Former UT receiver Donte Stallworth tweeted that there was a proposal that included Kiffin, Martin and Auburn defensive coordinator Kevin Steele. Kiffin denied that a proposal had been made on Twitter. However, Steele has ties to Tennessee and certainly would be a possibility. Kiffin’s staff really shouldn’t be a concern. He assembled an all-star staff in his first time as UT’s head coach.
The power brokers at UT would point to Kiffin’s cockiness as a reason he shouldn’t be re-hired. Those in charge are stiff. Kiffin is not and he admits to that. His twitter feed is proof of that.
Kiffin would bring the same thing that he brought when he replaced Fulmer: confidence. That’s something UT needed in 2009 and desperately needs now. UT’s fan base is beat down. They’ll likely settle for a below average coach. Some are questioning if the Tennessee job is even an elite job anymore. Kiffin could change all that.
Remember, UT has done this before. The Vols hired Doug Dickey as its athletic director after he left UT’s coaching position for Florida. That worked out pretty well.
It’s certainly not the perfect situation. It would have been nice if the Vols could have hired a proven, elite coach without having to crawl back to a coach that left them. However, that’s not the case. UT has done nothing but help other coaches get raises and contract extensions. The Vols have been turned down by nearly a dozen coaches. It’s time to set the egos aside and choose the one bona fide sure thing. If not, the Vols will be in this very same position in the near future.
