Lane Kiffin Biography

Lane Kiffin abandoned Tennessee (for USC) after just one season there. The Vols went 7-6 and lost to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. At first Vol fans were stunned at the news. Now, we mostly are glad to be rid of him. Read more about Kiffin's departure and UT fan reaction at 2009 Tennessee Volunteers Football. Here's another interesting current take on Lane Kiffin.

Read about the Vols new coach at Derek Dooley Biography.

When former New England Patriots head coach Pete Carroll was hired by the University of Southern California Trojans, he was viewed as somewhat of a reclamation project. He had a difficult time in the NFL, and generally speaking, his reputation as a coach took a big hit. As a result, he looked to the college game as an opportunity to get his career back on track, and ultimately, he had amazing success as a Trojan. The University of Tennessee hopes that lightening strikes twice, and that their new head coach will have similar successes.

Lane Kiffin comes to the University of Tennessee following a 1-plus season stint as head coach of the Oakland Raiders during which he led the team to a 5-15 record. Many questioned his ability to coach in the NFL, and often times, it was intimated that his skills would translate better to the college game. The University of Tennessee and its fans are banking on this notion.

Prior to his short stint as head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Lane Kiffin served as Offensive Coordinator for the University of Southern California. This term, which ran from 2001-2007, was extremely successful, and came underneath the aforementioned Pete Carroll. Initially, he was a positions coach with the team, but with the departure of Norm Chow in 2005, he was promoted by Carroll to the role of Offensive Coordinator. During the time he served as Offensive Coordinator with USC, the team managed a record of 23-3, which amounts to a win percentage of 88%. Additionally, under his watch, a number of future NFL players had big seasons, including Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and LenDale White.

Thanks to tbirdshockeyfan at tbirdshockeyfan for this shot of Lane Kiffin on the sidelines as Oakland Raiders head coach.

Kiffin is known for his explosive offensive game planning. His teams routinely were among the most offensively potent in the PAC-10, and in fact, beyond that, across the nation. And in addition to his scheme, his motivational, energy driven coaching style, which didn't necessarily work with highly paid, highly opinioned professional athletes. This type of coaching attitude usually works well when dealing with young, 18 to 21 year old athletes, and should translate to an exciting, cohesive offensive system being implemented in Tennessee.

Lane Kiffin on the field at Neyland Stadium on the University of Tennessee campus.

Lane Kiffin on the field at Neyland Stadium during the Orange & White game on the University of Tennessee campus. April 18th, 2009. Thanks to wikipedia for the picture .

Prior to joining USC, Kiffin coached in the NFL for one season, as an Assistant Coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars. This one season in the NFL followed 3 seasons spent by Kiffin in other NCAA coaching positions, initially as a positions coach for the Fresno State Bulldogs, and then, for one season, as a positions coach for Colorado State.

To learn more about current information about Tennessee Football, check out Tennessee Volunteers Football and Tennessee Volunteers Football History.

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Lane Kiffin Biography

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