Strange: Hamilton moved quickly on Kiffin

The initial meeting was Nov. 13 in Atlanta. It lasted more than four hours. Mike Hamilton left his first interview suspecting he might have met his new football coach.

After a number of discussions with other potential candidates, Tennessee’s athletic director called Lane Kiffin again from Dallas on Monday, Nov. 24. Please hop the next plane from California, Hamilton requested. They would talk Tuesday morning.

Kiffin arrived in Texas late Monday night. What was supposed to be a quick hello turned into two hours.

Tuesday morning led to three more hours talking UT football. When the men got on planes to head their separate ways, Hamilton was convinced. He came home, got his ducks in a row and offered the job (he said) on Friday.

Thus, on Monday afternoon Tennessee’s 21st football coach was introduced to a packed room at Neyland Stadium.

By my math, that’s maybe 10 hours of face-to-face talk. That’s a quick courtship, considering the stakes of the marriage.

“There’s a risk involved in any hire,’’ Hamilton said Monday. “What you try to do is mitigate those risks.’’

Kiffin is Hamilton’s fourth coaching hire as boss of UT’s athletic department. So far, so good.

Bruce Pearl. Brilliant.

The jury is still out on Todd Raleigh. His first baseball team went 27-29.

Sam Winterbotham is 40-12 after two years of tennis. His second team went 23-4 and was ranked No. 9 in the nation.

But Hamilton won’t be judged by tennis or baseball. Furthermore, Doug Dickey made it 18 years to retirement despite a series of sketchy basketball hires. Dickey had to make only one football hire. In Phillip Fulmer, he got it right.

Hamilton spoke Monday of a survey in which Tennesseans across the state were asked their first thought about the University of Tennessee.

“Eighty-five percent said Tennessee football,’’ said Hamilton.

“Anybody that’s hiring a (football) coach at the University of Tennessee understands it’s a critical hire for our program because it is the engine driving our financial train.’’

As the 2008 season went horribly wrong, the financial train wasn’t hauling as much freight as it needed to. That’s why Hamilton relieved Fulmer of the throttle Nov. 3.

Some have been critical of Hamilton for the timing, but it was the right call.

“If you put yourself in Mississippi State’s shoes today,’’ he said, “they had the resignation over the weekend and they’re just getting started.

“It gave us the opportunity to hit the recruiting trail wide open this week.’’

Hiring a basketball coach is easier than football. The candidate pool is bigger in basketball. Football is more complicated, involves more bodies.

Still, the experience of finding and choosing Pearl facilitated finding and choosing Kiffin.

“We knew what kinds of questions the coaches are going to ask, what’s important to them,’’ Hamilton said. “And we knew what kinds of questions you need to be asking the coaches.’’

The history of hiring coaches is littered with hits and misses — not just at Tennessee but everywhere and in every sport. You try to mitigate the risks.

Hamilton never considered Kiffin’s age, 33, a risk. Pat Summitt was 22.

“In Lane’s case,’’ Hamilton said, “while he’s physically 33, he’s been around football forever.

“From a football perspective he’s much more mature than others and that came across in the discussions.’’

He never considered Kiffin’s brief head-coaching resume a risk. Somebody had to give Bob Stoops his first shot. Heck, somebody had to give Bob Neyland his first shot.

He never considered Kiffin’s lack of a Tennessee connection a risk. Nick Saban didn’t grow up in Tuscaloosa.

“It’s about assessing someone’s ability to achieve,’’ Hamilton said.

You do all the research and background checking you can. In the end, there’s a lot of gut instinct involved in that assessment.

“It’s been a long four weeks in a lot of ways,’’ said Hamilton. “Now let all the pressure shift to Coach Kiffin.’’

That’s mostly wishful thinking. For better or worse, Hamilton and Kiffin are in this together.

Mike Strange may be reached at 865-342-6276 or strangem@knoxnews.com.

© 2008, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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