Another NFL assistant is joining Lane Kiffin's Tennessee staff. This one isn't waiting until the pro season ends.
James Cregg has quit the Oakland Raiders staff to join Kiffin at UT, according to the Raiders.
Kiffin's dad, Monte Kiffin, confirmed over the weekend that he will take over as UT's defensive coordinator once the Tampa Bay Bucs' season ends.
Cregg's sudden departure provoked an angry reaction with the Raiders - the club that fired Lane Kiffin as head coach in September.
"You don't do that,'' Oakland interim head coach Tom Cable said Monday. "You never quit. You never quit, I don't care what it is. You don't quit.''
Cregg, 34, was assistant offensive line coach with the Raiders, who have two games remaining.
Cregg joins Monte Kiffin and David Reaves on Tennessee's staff. Reaves is expected to coach quarterbacks.
Cregg's association with Lane Kiffin goes back to Kiffin's 1999 stop as an assistant at Colorado State.
Cregg played offensive line for the school and was working as a grad assistant coach when Kiffin was there.
Cregg coached the defensive line at Colgate 2000-03 and then at Idaho 2004-06. He joined the Raiders in 2007, when Kiffin was named head coach.
It's not clear which position he will coach at UT, but most likely it will be offensive line.
Cregg told Cable he was leaving the Raiders on Sunday night to take the job at Tennessee. UT has made no announcement on either Monte Kiffin or Cregg.
Speculation is growing that Ed Orgeron also will join the staff as defensive line coach.
Orgeron, defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints, would be another expensive hire.
Monte Kiffin is expected to be paid in the neighborhood of $1 million at UT.
Athletic director Mike Hamilton said Monday he wouldn't discuss pay for the assistant coaches until after the staff is assembled. Hamilton said when Kiffin was hired on Dec. 1 that UT would be aggressive in paying assistants.
Lane Kiffin said Sunday night that his focus will shift from recruiting players to solidifying his staff next week.
"After this week, it's time to focus on the staff,'' Kiffin said in an interview with the radio show "The Nation," heard locally on WNML.
Of hiring his father, Lane Kiffin said, "We feel we got the best guy in the country, college or the NFL.''
Kiffin said he focused on recruiting players before recruiting assistants.
"If I would have spent time interviewing a bunch of coaches and not been out on the road recruiting, we wouldn't have been able to get . . . the groundwork we've laid, especially around the state of Tennessee,'' Kiffin said.
Kiffin has landed one commitment, defensive back Eric Gordon of Nashville.
No announcement has been made on the fate of the four UT assistants temporarily retained by Kiffin.
They are recruiting this week in advance of the NCAA-mandated dead period around the holiday season.
Cable, who was promoted to interim coach at Oakland after Kiffin's dismissal, was upset at the timing of Cregg's departure.
"They're in a dead period starting next weekend,'' Cable said. "So James' services are really only needed for the next five days, at which time we'll be done in a couple of weeks.
"In terms of that, if James wanted to take a position, he should have at that time.''
Cregg had been in an expanded day-to-day role with the offensive line after Cable's promotion.
On Monday, Cable terminated two staff members with Kiffin ties: director of football operations Mark Jackson and office assistant Steve Reaves, Kiffin's brother-in-law and younger brother of David Reaves.
The Associated Press and the Oakland Tribune contributed to this report.
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Comments » 173
MidTennVol writes:
Wow -- he's trying to build a farm-league pro team at Tennessee. Should be a good draw for high school recruits...
MidTennVol writes:
And I'm SO happy none of these idiots got to type FIRST on this story...
HonoluluVol writes:
Bring them on!!!! Let's get this staff together and land some good recruits. Go Vols!!!!!
andy112382#209793 writes:
Sooo......Let me get this straight, Cable cries about someone quitting a dying team with a tyrant in charge who looks to join his friend and fellow coach, Cable says you don't quit before the end of the season....sooo, he fires two guys with Kiffin ties? What's the difference between someone taking a job somewhere else that is better, leaving a place that the crazy guy in charge very well could clean house of the current staff versus getting axed before the end of the season??? Kind of a double standard isn't it?
govols87 writes:
Cable is a tool
VOLorado writes:
UT is the new NFL
VOLorado writes:
....at least as much as 40 is the new 30
newtonrail writes:
This story has been on Yahoo all night. The nepotism that Killer Kiffin had at Oakland, and has in spades at UT is problematic for me. And not just the violation of rules they are playing cutesy with. And the four coaches he's held over, just get ready to get screwed over. Greg Adkins has done more than anyone to get this class, and especially late comers. And I don't blame O line play on him with the crazy flipping of lineman that Clawson required. While I'm venting, the salary precedents are outrageous, especially if Orgeron is coming for mega bucks. So he's a good recruiter. So are Killer Kiffin and the first of his Brothers in law Reaves. I'm not convinced Monte Kiffin can come back to college after 26 years, and teach 18year old kids a complex defense. Remember Clawson's form of West Coast Offense? If anyone wants to shoot me down on the Money to Assistants not be exorbitant, my VASF # is 86577, and some one has to think about where our contributions are going. From noting blog times, the biggest complainers the last couple of years don't even go to games.
Volnbama writes:
I'M A MAN...I'M A MAN AND I QUIT!!
utmdm writes:
Well I do blame Atkins for the lousy line play. It has been lousy for years.
VOLS85 writes:
"You never quit. You never quit, I don't care what it is. You don't quit.''
He didn't quit, he changed into a job where success is a possibility...Oakland is a dead end job and Cable just hates that the mat is being pulled out from under him.
jimr07 writes:
what is your suggestion?
BlakeyWakey writes:
the Quiting so quick scares me about him comin to the Vols... hope he doesnt do that to us but glad to have him!
jobrando#216494 writes:
A New Dawn ....The Heat is on and the Bar is rising in the SEC..
jobrando#216494 writes:
Heck, just give us five years with this crew and they can go whereever they like outside the SEC.
slambob2#228938 writes:
These hires are brilliant. If Orgeron is added to the staff, we'll wind up with the best recruiting team of coaches and a sure draw for any kid who wants to play in the NFL someday.
Orgeron would be here for 1-2 years, but would recruit heavily and coach extremly well. Monte Kiffin is apparently the best defensive mind in the country. Meanwhile, Georgia may fire the D coach and other teams are losing theirs to head coaching positions.
What will be interesting to me is how UT's offensive staff lines up. If we get NFL types on that side of the ball, too, we'll become the Southern Cal of the Southeast.
It might take 2-3 years to mature, but this is gonna be a fantastic ride.
tnbigg writes:
Good.
rusty_shackleford writes:
Kind of ironic that someone from Oakland is lecturing on how to be a good employee/employer.
Oakland: freakshow owner. UT: aggressive AD.
Oakland: Gang problems. UT: Pollen problems.
Oakland: SF wannabe. UT: Jewel of ET
VolsAllTheWay writes:
I would call it quitting if he had no offer and was now unemployed. This guy saw a better opportunity, knew Al Davis was going to blow up the Raiders, again, and he took a sure thing that was on the table for him. Lane Kiffin feels he is one of the assistants he wants on his staff or he wouldn't be offered. Screw the Radier organization and Tom Cable if they don't like it. They certainly did what they felt was in their best interest when CLK was fired.
mikec1000000 writes:
"A house is only as good as its foundation" or so I'm told. Well, this looks like the beginning of a good foundation. I just hope the "house" above it isn't made out of straw. So far, the recruiting class looks like an average group. Average has been the norm at UT for eight years ( from a recruiting standpoint). Everyone can praise Kiffin and his staff all they want, but for me, I'll wait until I actually see 5 star recruits come to the Smokeys and the team actually beat Florida and Georgia in the same year. I wish them all the luck in the world.
UTBEATEMALL writes:
Every offense becomes much better if the o-line can knock the defense a yard or two back and let a full back and running back build up speed in attacking the hole. Our offensive line has been walling off and playing shadow games since Travis Stephens was ripping things up. I still love Coach Fulmer, but I had two big frustrations with him. I couldn't stand the lack of special teams play outside of the punting game and how in the hell could we have two and sometimes three coaches responsible for the o-line (last years TE coach was the Tackes coach as well) and not have a top notch offensive line. I think it was Johnny Long's fault. It all starts in the weight room. As a coach, I know that all coaches that have offenses that struggle in the passing game will revert to knocking the defense backwards with the power run game if they have the o-line to do it. I also fault our inability to develop a slobber knocking fullback. Corey Anderson was a patsy and we haven't had a fullback get recognized for his ability in many years now.
gnm53108 writes:
That's the kettle calling the pot black.
I'm really warming up to Kiffin.He's starting to put together an allstar staff,and for a bonus p1ssing off the most deserving people.Darth Visor and now Al Davis.
Keep up the good work Coach Kiffin!
philfan writes:
I too have complained about the blatant nepotism in hiring, and all apparently in an attempt to please Lane Kiffin. All is fine as long as Tennessee wins big, but watch out when the bad years hit. A son supervising his own father and brother-in-law is just plain weird. When Fulmer was losing last year, people felt free to criticize and even insult. Now, fans seem afraid to speak out against an all in the family situation that is bound to cause morale problems within the coaching staff.
JMP_Vols writes:
Good article on JerQuari Schofield.
http://footballrecruiting.rivals.com/...
VOLinDAWGland writes:
Adkins is probably a good man and a decent recruiter but he sucks as an o-line coach and his o-lines have never been able to block for the running game and can't ever get the tough yard.
jobrando#216494 writes:
Well Sexton is sure giving Tennessee and Auburn's hires terrible reviews. I suppose he would because they are not in his stable. Time will tell and the pundit's may be right or have to eat crow. I dont see how any person can support the team and hate this new coach before game 1. They would have to be hoping for L's to support there views. Heck, darn, I just cant see it.
rockytopron writes:
One thing I will say...who of us, if we knew in two weeks we were going to be fired and another, better job comes calling would not quit and take the better job?
He did the right thing for himself and his family.
30YrSeasonTickets writes:
I like what you had to say ... I have been a season ticket holder for 30 yrs ..was there for all the home games and even went to Vandy. I heard a guy at the end of the season making a big deal over the empty seats at the KY game only to finish off that he had "other commentments". My guess he sit on the sofa and never give a dime to UT.
I am not saying you have to be a contributor or ticket holder to have a say .... but you support is not quite as strong as those who do.
Coaching staff is coming together ... appears we are making big strides on the D side... we were No 4 this year so I guess we can only go up a couple spots else we will not be as good ...
Go Vols .... Hope we can get a QB ready to play ....
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I have always liked pontificating when the water is around your knees on the tilting deck.
Adds a certain flair to be remembered when people notice your cap floating.
Only in Oakland.
Docrok writes:
Well the pundits are free to talk all they want, everyone saying that there was not a Nick Saban or an Urban Meyer out there! Nick Saban was a high profile hire at AL but Meyer was considered a risk when FL hired him as he had not coached in a big conference like the SEC. Pete Carroll was widely viewed as a bad hire by a mediocre USC team when he was hired! So maybe Kiffin is a risky hire but considering the upside and the staff he is putting together, I think it was probably the right hire
tnbuco#393180 writes:
I know that everyone likes to believe to the contrary but our run blocking wasn't as bad as some would have it in the last 4 years.
While it had problems, it did get enough push to graduate a 4 year tailback that finished 2nd on the all time rushing list as well.
I would say that our line play was average most of the time and above or below average occasionally.
rllipscomb#212376 writes:
We asked for a more hard-nosed program and we are getting it. The days of the Big Orange family and loyalty are over. I am not saying that is either good or bad, just very different.
leedsvol2007 writes:
I would suggest that we let Lane& Monte Kiffin decide whether that is the case.
When Cutcliffe and Adkins came in the line play improved markedly. They slimmed the players down and developed a very good pass protection line from the available talent.
Unfortunately although we had some good linemen we did not have a dominant run blocker like a Jeff Smith, Chad Clifton, Fred Weary, Trey Teague or Arron Sears among the group.
This year compounding the lack of a dominant run blocker we had to deal with a passing game that was the worst at UT since Doug Dickey's first year in 1964 - 44 years ago.
Its easy to blame the coach.
They say number don't lie but they don't tell the whole story either.
Let's trust in Kiffin's judgement.
CoverOrange writes:
With all these coach hires I feel like a 16 year old kid that unwraps a box on Christmas that has a picture of a Lamborghini on it and a key inside, runs out to the garage to find a pile of metal, turns the box over and reads "some assembly required."
It remains to be seen if all these "great" hires will work together.
PDHuff, I have no idea what your sayin' but it shore is entertainin'.
jesseejames57 writes:
Lane Kiffin is assemblying coaches he's familiar with and wants on his staff.People need to get over it and let the man get his assistant coaches. Some folks whine over anything just to appease themselves. Vol fans get excited" Rocky Top is back!!! TheBig Orange will prevail!!!
TxFatBoy writes:
Well then, why not wait and see if he WINS games or not? If he doesn't then it won't last long and if he does...do you really CARE who his coaches are? I don't care if his granny coaches the dbacks, his Uncle Jed coaches O'line, Ellie Mae coaches wideouts, and Jethro coaches the cheerleaders....as long as they win!
Ironcity writes:
Kiffin took under market value so UT could over pay assistants. Newton you should be happy with that move. As for nepotism, I have no problem with it as long as they can coach and recruit.
JohnnyVol writes:
Remember how liar, liar Nick Saban dumped the Dolphins...and he was head coach. Then, note how the organization responded. No one took shots at Saban. I think what we are seeing in the Raiders is a reflection of the dysfunctional category. Emotionally, the organization seems to be adolescents.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
I've always been amused by the Raider "organization" various musings and deeds ever since Al D has been there.
And a coach about to be canned is akin to one of Bigg's and my favorite references-
arranging deck chairs on the Titantic.
Al least Tenn will continue the "family" tradition, albeit hopefully with competitive results.
mattfriedman58#226364 writes:
While there's going to be a lot of question marks until the next season begins, I'd like to focus on the positive aspects of all these hires:
1. He's bringing in a staff with strong recruiting and coaching capabilities (and remember, you're only as strong as the staff you assemble)
2. UT intends on paying them appropriately (hopefully this will keep them motivated to stay for a while)
3. There's a lot of NFL experience with the staff he's assembling, which will hopefully translate to better performances from the players
4. It appears he's hiring individuals he's worked with in the past, which hopefully means that they're all on the same page with each other
5. Even though Monte Kiffin most certainly won't be recruiting, his presence alone is a strong recruiting tool
6. He's making Tennessee football exciting again!
Say what you want, but I think there are far more pluses than minuses with this scenario.
TnKyFlAlGaScLaAkMi writes:
UT will be able to beat the Raiders next year. Funny that an NFL team is turning out to be OUR farm league team. They may want to add orange to that grey & murky.
"All Cable is saying, give firing a chance" props to Lennon.
zqvol writes:
I agree with you completely with one big IF
If any of them stay five years. These are NFL guys and I will be surprised if many of them say more than two years. (I am not sure that when it is all done that the University is going to allow all of these hires anyway.) I am convinced that a stable coaching staff is a key ingredient, and I am not sure that this is the way to that stability, and before you ask I don't have any suggestions.
gohawks1 writes:
Seems like it to me too.
pj_ladyvolnMI writes:
I don't know...everything I have read about Orgeron makes me think that we really don't want someone with his personal weaknesses anywhere near our team. Lane and Mike...please think long and hard before doing this! Thots, Txvol/Savol? pj
zqvol writes:
Let's not play word games. The guy had a written contract that ran through the end of the Oakland season. He left before his contract was over. There was no reason he could not have waited the 13 more days that are left in Oakland's season.
He quit. The good thing about it, we'll never have to worry about him going back to the NFL, no team there will trust him again.
TommyJack writes:
I only give to the Alum. Assoc. thus my opinion is less valuable according to a couple of your mopes. BTW, I've extrapolted again the number of season ticket holders (from this board) and have upped my estimate of seating in Neyland to just over 267,000. Michigan got nothing on us. Mikey should have plenty of dough for the program. Selah
murrayvol writes:
Take a bow Denmark.
Louisvol8859 writes:
If anyof you read the nepotism rule in conjunction with the set up of the athletic department you would notice it is not an issue the assistant coaches answer to others in the athletic department not CLK therefore your arguments are baseless. If UT wins great. If UT loses Mike Hamilton can and will fire whoever he chooses.
JohnnyVol writes:
Well then...
That's all clear now..
From an objective source...
Next I hope Al Davis will give me an objective opinion on Kiffin's tenure with the Raiders...
easymoney writes:
Let's see now. Fulmer was getting about $3.5 Million and the Chief was getting $400,000 so that is about $4 Million. Now we are paying Kiffin $2 Million and his dad $1 Million (we think). Which is a total of about $3 Million. That looks like we have saved about $1 Million to use elsewhere. As for teaching 18 year olds, there isn't much difference that teaching 21 and 22 year olds, except the 18 year olds are probably more willing to learn, especially so they will be ready when they get to the next level. As for Nepotism, if Hamilton hires Monte and Monte reports straight to Hamilton where is the Nepotism? Is Hamilton and Monte cousins or something? So are you saying you never go to games? Next.....
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