Cocky. Brash. Arrogant.
Pick up a newspaper anywhere in the SEC and those are just some the words you'll see used in connection with the name Lane Kiffin.
In just two months on the job, Kiffin has made it clear to the rest of the conference that he doesn't have a whole lot of respect for the old guard.
To Kiffin, paying homage to the men who've already won in the SEC must rank somewhere behind sending Al Davis a birthday card.
And that's OK. Steve Spurrier didn't genuflect or curtsy at the mention of Alabama or Tennessee when he arrived in Gainesville.
Of course, he held back on the verbal slings until he'd at least won a game or two.
But unlike Saint Steve, Kiffin has talked before he's walked. He's crowed before he's showed. And that means he'd better be ready to back things up come fall.
But right now, as a Vol fan, you could care less. "He called Urban Meyer a cheat even though Meyer hadn't broken a rule? So what! I love it!"
As a Tennessee fan, you like seeing a little swagger from your head coach. For far too long, Florida coaches have cracked jokes and burned out scoreboard bulbs at the Vols' expense. Now is the time for Smokey to bark back.
And, heck, Kiffin's "cheat" comment came at a private function for Vol fans anyway. UT fans didn't get mad when Spurrier made his "You can't spell Citrus without UT" crack to a group of Gator boosters, did they?
Oh.
To be honest, that's really the only issue I have with what's gone on this week. When Kiffin tossed his verbal grenade toward Meyer, Tennessee fans loved it and Florida fans felt outraged.
If Meyer had said the same thing about Kiffin, Florida fans would have loved it and UT fans would have screamed. That's the hypocrisy of fandom.
For years, Tennesseans hated Spurrier. He had no class. He made jokes at our expense. Etc, etc.
Well, like it or not (and most seem to like it), Tennessee now has a Spurrier of its own. They may even have an uber-Spurrier. After all, even the ol' ball coach only jokingly hints about coaches cheating. He's never actually publicly called one a cheat.
For years, Spurrier has been viewed as a jerk by Vol fans. Shoot, even Florida fans probably knew, deep down, that he was a jerk. But he was their jerk. And if a guy is your jerk, then anything goes.
For Tennessee and Kiffin, it's a case of "if the mouth fits."
So UT now has its own loudmouth. You can love the swagger. You can praise the confidence. But Kiffin is already the chirpiest football coach Tennessee has had in half a century. Maybe ever. And there's no arguing it.
In his opening presser, he said he couldn't wait to "sing Rocky Top all night long" after beating Florida this fall. That's good-natured stuff, no different than Jim Tressell telling Ohio State fans that they would be proud of his first team when they played Michigan.
But he took things a bit further when he announced his coaching staff. "We stole this guy from 'Bama, that guy from Auburn, and this guy from Mississippi State." Tennessee fans had no problem with that, but it sure got noticed by fans (and probably coaches) at Alabama, Auburn and Mississippi State.
And now he's taken things to a whole new level, calling a man with two national championships a cheat.
Kiffin's a loudmouth. But he's our loudmouth. And if he wins, he can keep right on talking.
Spurrier got that kind of leash because of his success. Meyer hasn't been as lippy as Spurrier, but he's been more than happy to run it up on folks whenever he got the chance. 59-20 anyone? Again, winning makes everything A-OK.
Bill Callahan went to Nebraska with a cocksure attitude, too. He took down photos, tossed former players out of the weightroom and talked about all the great changes to come. Much as Kiffin has done.
But unlike Spurrier and Meyer, Callahan didn't win. And his attitude made for a shorter rope. Kiffin might want to take note of that.
But maybe the Vols' new coach will whip a 5-7 team into a highly competitive club in his first year. Maybe this new staff's coaching ability will be the big story come fall.
Or maybe the Vols will be pummeled by more talented Florida and Alabama teams on the road, and the national media will focus on the revenge that Meyer and Nick Saban will have taken out on Count Talkula.
Either way, Kiffin has ensured that the Vols will be a story in 2009. That should count for something. Too few times in the past decade has Tennessee actually been a national story. Kiffin's accomplished that goal before he's even coached a game.
And maybe all of this talk and bluster is part of a grand plan. Spurrier was known for having a copy of Sun Tzu's "The Art of War" in his office. Perhaps Kiffin also has a copy.
Perhaps he came across one of the old master's strategies: "Feign madness, but keep your balance."
Sun Tzu recommended hiding behind "the mask of a fool, a drunk, or a madman to create confusion about your intentions and motivations. Lure your opponent into underestimating your ability until, overconfident, he drops his guard. Then, you may attack."
Loudmouth or genius, he's Tennessee's guy. And as long as he wins, Vol fans won't give a Big Orange hoot about what he's saying and who he's ticking off by saying it.
John Pennington hosts the Hall's Salvage Sports Source on Sunday at 11 a.m. on WATE.
© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
Want to use this article? Click here for options!
NCAA Tennessee 83 - Ohio 68
Vols' spring practice wit…
NCAA Tennessee Lady Vols 75-4…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 128
txvolsfan writes:
At least we don't have whiney gurlz running around our campus!!! Slive, this Kiffin bully scared me and I'm crying to Fagley!!!
What a bunch of gurlz, He should go to Notre Dame and leave the SEC where we are MEN!!!
CalPoly_Vol_Fan writes:
first suckers!
CalPoly_Vol_Fan writes:
phooey
snafu14u#241639 writes:
My only problem with Kiffen is he seems immature. Lots of loose talk leads to unwanted trouble. Atitude is great, we needed that. Being a punk is not. And this is still my university that he represents. Win some games, treat recruits with respect and the university. There is too much on the line for a bunch of nonsense. Go Vols. bonzaivol
johnlg00#206211 writes:
Good points. Maybe CLK is just being "crazy like a fox".
smashmouth98 writes:
I love it. It sends a message to the SEC & our players. We are gonna compete.
Everyone outside the program is blowing this WAY out of porportion, relax.
DenmarkVol writes:
Even in jest, calling a coach who just won a national championship a cheat isn't swag. There are other ways to fire up a roomful of fans.
As you point out, Penn, Junior had better by golly put up or shut up this fall.
Personally, I would prefer he shut up now -- or at least stop firing from the hip, now that he's angered the entire state of Florida, including the high school and home town of Nu'keese Richardson, when we're just a few months away from playing FL on its home field.
(I'd take along some extra security with me to Gainesville, if I were you, Junior.)
Nine wins minimum, 2009. Atlanta, minimum, 2010. BCS bowl, minimum, 2011. Competitive each and every game.
Welcome to Tennessee, Junior. We're behind you 100 percent ... as long as you deliver.
balloonman writes:
News Flash......Kiffy is acting exactly as what he is........a Kid!
kman29 writes:
You send your message to the SEC that your going to compete on the field. Not behind a microphone trashing other coaches. Looking at the schedule for 2009 I don't see how Kiffin will be able to back up anything his mouth says..
9/5 W.Kentucky W
9/12 UCLA W (a tough W)
9/19 @ Florida L
9/26 Ohio W
10/03 Auburn * tough pick
10/10 Georgia L
10/24 @Alabama L
10/31 S.Carolina * tough pick
11/07 Memphis W
11/14 @Miss. L
11/21 Vanderbilt W
11/28 @Kentucky W
I see at best 8-4 or as low as 6-6. You run the mouth the way he did and you better win the East which isn't happening.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
None of the talk means jack s##t.
It counts when toe meets leather.
How many days Ikid?
GerryOP writes:
210 -- Fear The Kiffin....
TD_4_UT writes:
Think about it, Kiffin has to be so excited about having his own team to build as he see's fit. That's coaches, and players. I think he gets caught up in the moments and says what he really feels inside. We all make mistakes but would you not rather have someone that fired up as your coach.
oldvolsfan writes:
settle down loud mouth know it all
02champs#209256 writes:
pennington's an idiot. Another stale approach to an topic that's been done already. See dead horse.
marc_ash#231781 writes:
How quickly folks forget how brash Urban Meyer was when he first came into the SEC. Besides, how else is UT going to have any identity?
Football programs get looks by recruits by looking at the coaching staff, and the likelihood of getting media recognition. Why wouldn't a recruit want to come to UT to be put in the spotlight of a high profile coach?
Listen, the SEC has Meyer, Saban, Richt, Spurrier, et al. This league is STACKED with high profile coaches. Kiffin is selling his product, and has to get on the map somewhere. If he wins, nobody will say a dang thing.
TD_4_UT writes:
This article sounds familiar John. Could it be that I read this on MRSEC. Was it Yesterday?
FWBVol writes:
As I've stated in the past in other stories, I know a coach here in Northwest Florida that is a huge Gator fan. He's been to coaching clinics conducted by Urban, and this Florida fan admits that Meyer is a pompus jerk...even to high school coaches attending his clinics. Does the coach like Urban as a person? No. Does he like him as a coach? Yes, because Florida is winning.
Even Saban showed a little class when things went down with CPF, but not Urban. I'm glad to see Lane calling him out. I agree with the others that have posted on previous stories that Urban might not have broken the rules when he called Richardson during his UT visit, but it sure wasn't classy.
I think maybe the NCAA needs to make some sort of rule about coaches calling or texting players if they know they are on an official visit at another school. It wasn't a big deal say 10 or 15 years ago before most people, including high school kid had cell phones, but now it is an issue that needs to be addressed, and probably not just where football recruiting is concerned.
DenmarkVol writes:
Of all the prognostications I see on here, this one comes closest to my own thinking. Only for sure losses I see are AL and FL.
I expect 9 wins minimum and will disappointed in anything less if these coaches are as good as advertised.
AllVol1 writes:
CLK owned up to exactly what he was doing. He was trying to excite his hometown crowd and he apologized for the fallout of collateral damage. We ALL know what it is like to say something in a moment, in excitement, that goes a little too far. I am just not worried about the Urban thing too much. If I could counsel Kiff, I would say that the personal touch, a phone call to Urb himself, would bring in a classy resolution to this whole thing. As for the texting thing with Nukeese's coach, that does sound a little weird. Still, I have not heard many details. Sounds like spin (Remember how stories sell papers and paper sales fund salaries?). If it is spin, it really is strange but I think there is another side to that little coin. Again, Kiffen should probably make a personal call to that coach and set the record straight. Finally, I wish I could know how Coach O handled the infamous "disagreement" with Brown and family. Maybe this is not such a big deal in the end, but it seems to have been the real determining factor in Brown not wearing Orange next fall. Added all together, it seems like we might have a bunch of wild men on the hill. Ultimately, I hope they have field evidence (surprising 09 record 10-2) to replace little antics like these.
Navalorange writes:
Gotta love it, new jerckoff interlopers making their lame, BIASED precictions that none of us give a shiite about.
NEWSFLASH: The games are played on the field, not by arrogant gator and/or bama fans who actually believe they "know" the outcome ahead of time. If that was the case, all you geniuses should just hang out in Vegas year round.
I would hate to think my life was so pathetic I'd have to hang out on a rival's web site and talk out of my azz all day, spouting ignorant opinions, relating them as facts, and all the while just about everyone reading the garbage either skips over it, laughs at it, or replies to rake it over the coals. I would rather stick bamboo spikes under my fingernails.
Are any UT fans on here psychologists? I'd love to hear a pro's opinion on these pathetic trolls, like what happened to them during their childhood and/or puberty years, assuming those years are behind them.
798orange writes:
Sure, he can talk all he wants if we start winning consistently, but I don't think the majority of UT fans really want Spurrier-type childish arrogance. Confidence is great, but cockiness is overrated. Its really not too impressive a trait and gets old in a hurry. Best policy, in my opinion, is kick some butt and move on to the next game and do it again with some class. I think with the recruiting potential of this staff that we will have the ability to compete with the current powers in the very near future.
AllVol1 writes:
I agree with this outlook and would even add what we have learned over the years, AL-TN and TN-FL are games that can be surprises. It is hard to say until we see what kind of game-day coaches we have. I expect more intensity and focused fire than we have seen in a long time. I am not worried at all about Ole Miss. Remember, O knows a thing or two about that team. Above all, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to matter-of-factly hand FL their butts next year. Berry has 163 INT return yards on 3 picks and 3 sacks for -34, sacks that don't hure Tebow (I just cannot ever wish for injuries to anyone) but definitely leave him with the distracting question running through his mind every time he takes a snap: "Where, oh where, is Mr.Berry?"
AllVol1 writes:
That's right. I don't want to hure Tebow. (I don't want him to be hurt either.:) )
OldSmokey writes:
Coach Kiffin has got what we have been needing for years!!! He has an attitude and s!@t load of testicular fortitude!!! This man is going to get Ut's name back in the spotlight, just wait and see. And for all you haters out there, I have a feeling you will be regreting ever doubting the man.
Navalorange writes:
I agree with you and it bothers me to say that too. All the VOL fans I keep hearing say "I hope" for a 9 win season, is proof positive that Hammy had to make a move. Here's what I hope.
2009) I hope we can compete in big games.
2010) I hope we can compete for the SEC
2011) I hope we win the SEC
If this is the way we are thinking in the next 3 years, mediocrity will have been kicked to the curb. We'll see, GO VOLS!
kman29 writes:
With all the hype about stealing Teague and Richardson I thought it was pretty funny seeing some past quotes about these players from UT fans...
Regarding Teague..
Vols1998:
There no "I" in Team, this guy seems a little centergistic and arrogant...does he have the where with all to handle the demands of any Div I team plus compete for a spot that others might want as well?.......it's easy to stand tall when the wind is not blowing...hmmmm
VOLS85
I don't really mind if Florida gets this kid...we have plenty of 3*'s. I think we have gotten to the point where 4's and 5's are the ones we are chasing hard. ie the likes of Moses and Brown
Regarding Richardson
bluetick:
Oh I hope to see a hit from EB on this guy, if he gets in to play next season. 5'9" 155 ? Are you kidding me? He would clean his clock!
lawyervol:
155 pounds? Are you serious? We don't need him. And if he's listed at 155, he probably weighs even less than that. I doubt he's 5'9" either.
CoachFulmer:
5'9 155 pounds??? HAHAHA come on now. Why we would even bother recruiting a guy who is 5'9 anyways. Go Vols!
I could go on and on with these, but its just funny how now those two are viewed as studs for UT by fans now that they have signed. LOL!
GerryOP writes:
kaman29 -- just go away. You've done your best to defend Lil' Urbie ... now just go to your room. We'll see you in September.
210 -- Fear The Kiffin...
kman29 writes:
How is Urban Meyer even brought up in that???? My posts was simply showing how hilarious it is that some of you hate and look down on a kid simply based off of where he says he might go to school. Then the second he commits to the school you root for, he is an all american and the next great player.
Where you come up with Urban Meyer in all that I have no clue. Maybe you have some sort of complex regarding him and if so you might want to get help for that.
jhayes0926#638474 writes:
depends on your definition of deliver, I guess. There's no way he can lose more games than last year. There is a weaker schedule so I guess he is almost assured of "improvement". The real test will come year after next. The honeymoon will be over and he will be sitting on a "top 5" recruiting class then.
strongtower writes:
This is what Vol fans have needed for a long time, our swagger back. looks like Kiffin is saying we might not win but we came to play and not lay down. We need some new energy. Fulmer had 7-9 years to get a real OC and never thought it was neccessary. When he let Trooper go and hired Clawson I knew it was over.
2 years for a system to work???? Here's a clue, that is false. Just look at the UCLA game. We were running like there was no tommorrow but Clawson chose to throw it 40 times. That's not a system, that's called I am not ready for D-1
Another one was look at the Florida game. We're on the freakin 1 yard line and I am screaming QB sneak. No lets do 3-4 stupid plays in a row. And oh yeah on our TD we made. Guess what got it, yes a QB sneak.
rocky_topper writes:
No one owes Weiner Meyer any type of respect or reverence just because he won a NC. What the hell does that have to do with Kiffin or the Big Orange Nation?
A lot of you are just used to people on our staff kissing his along with others in the SEC's A##!
I'm glad Kiffin refuses to be a damn doormat as we have been!
cainclifton23 writes:
People can say Kiffin is immature all they want.
but if he wasnt mature, then why would all these big name coaches want to work under him!?
Im just glad were gettin a little swagger back in our program, maybe now people might actually fear playing Tennessee, unlike wyoming.
GerryOP writes:
We'll see you in September.
210 -- Fear The Kiffin...
dvhill100 writes:
Phone call won't make any difference to Coach Ego. MR of GA called and personally apologized and also did so several times in the media. UM obviously didn't accept it.
golfballs03 writes:
I think I'm going to love the Kiffin years in Knoxville
rocky_topper writes:
you might wish you had Hal once weiner leaves for notre dame! unethical little bas**rd!
TommyJack writes:
"Bulletin board" material, smack talk, jive-azz, etc., play NO role after the kick off. Tee it up, dook it all. Fear the Kiffin. That is all.
JWilly writes:
Ticking off Urb and Nick likely is not going to make much difference in the long run but ticking off a Florida high school coach may have been "less than wise". I would also guess that this Fla. h.s. coach has alot of friends and influence among other Fla. h.s. coaches. I wish LK had kept his mouth closed on that one.
rocky_topper writes:
gatorzz, your boyfriend must work all the damn time to allow you all this time on a vol site. can you not figure out how to migrate to gatorzone.com? it's easy actually. have your boyfriend show you!
rocky_topper writes:
By the way, this is just for you gatorfreak:
http://s219.photobucket.com/albums/cc...
JohnyLobo34 writes:
Swagger is one thing; but Kiffin needs to choose his words more carefully. I'm less concerned about what he said about Meyer & Saban & more concerned with how he described the incoming recruiting class. He convinced some good kids to change their committments and then said: "This recruiting class doesn't meet our standards, but next year...." I'm actually surprised by his lack of composure and maturity. It's one thing to be Young & Enthusiastic; it's another to be Young and say stupid stuff. That speaks volumes. I just hope the guy can coach. Go Vols!
rocky_topper writes:
I believe CLK expects vol fans to have some type of intelligence to actually know that what he meant by that was that in the future, there would be more 5 stars and higher profile people. It is sad that he feels that he has to speak such comments to vol fans before they start their posts as to such things like "well, you mean this is it?" By the way, I saw such comments from vol fans!
guitarch882000#661629 writes:
lets face it The Whinee, fairweather, crying, second guessing fans here will never give Kiffin a fair shake....With no QB and a young mishmash recruiting class ....why would anyone expect a great 1st year ....Yet everyone is saying how diasappointed they would be with a bad season.....Reality no longer exists
rocky_topper writes:
well, i assure you i could never ever be more disappointed than i was with the two losing seasons we had in the past 4 years!
FLVOL62 writes:
Kiffins comments about how he was trying to fire up a group of boosters sounds like he's back tracking to me. I've been a VOL fan all my life and have seen the days when UT had its swagger, won a hell of lot games - but did it with class. I have no doubt that part of Kiffin's "rant" against Meyer was due to frustration over BS he had to dispell while recruiting. But it would be comforting to see Kiffin show some maturity in how we works a crowd so that we know he has the depth to manage a program as rich in tradition as UT. If you can't control yourself, how can you expect to control your coaches, personnel and players? I have high hopes for Kiffin - and hope that his learning curve is very short. Got to love the confidence, would just like to know that he's really got it under control and appreciates the opportunity that's been handed to him ...
yeavols#228407 writes:
And it's brought back our youth. Sorry dude..I don't know about you and everyone else..But, I am tired of being trampled on by the SEC East, West, and Vanderbilt. I want my Tennessee VOLS back.
ChattVol2485 writes:
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
yeavols#228407 writes:
Sorry old man...I am tired of watching Tennessee get railroaded and trampled on in the SEC by mouthy coaches and fans. No matter what Kiffin looks like to everyone else, he's brought back something we've been missing a long time..IDENTITY. And if it upsets everyone and we lose the next 10 games..SO what's new? At least we showed some backbone..
Couchdummy writes:
As I said yesterday on another posting, Kiffin needs to calm down and celebrate our strengths and plans to improve, not attack our opponents dignity in "off the field" media circus style. I want to see the results ON THE FIELD, not in word battles and finger pointing that makes us look like drunk rednecks at a NASCAR race!! Brashness and spirit, fine, but I don't consider rudeness and false accusations of cheating to be "swagger".
minh865#393249 writes:
Right on brother!! Go Kiffin!
Share your thoughts
Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. You agree not to post comments that are off topic, defamatory, obscene, abusive, threatening or an invasion of privacy. Violators may be banned. Click here for our full user agreement.