ORLANDO, Fla. - Think Ed Orgeron is important to Tennessee's future success?
Just ask Monte Kiffin.
"It was huge," Kiffin said Friday shortly after being announced as UT's defensive coordinator. "(UT coach) Lane (Kiffin) kept saying 'The key, the key, the key is Ed Orgeron.' "
Securing one of the very best recruiters in the nation was worth repeating.
In many ways, Orgeron is UT's ultimate insurance policy in the great Lane Kiffin experiment. Let's theorize for a moment that Lane Kiffin doesn't work out as head coach, that he's more Raider than Trojan, and that his father just can't relate to college athletes after many years in the NFL.
Albeit unlikely, in that worst-case scenario UT would have to make a change in the near future. As long as the Vols recruit clean, expect UT to be loaded with talent for the next guy - thanks to Orgeron.
Now, look on the other end of the spectrum. Assume Kid Kiffin is more Mike Shanahan than Art Shell and that his father is all that he appears to be. Then, both Kiffins will need talent to go with all that coaching prowess. They'll have it - thanks to Orgeron.
Yet it wasn't just Orgeron who should have UT fans excited about the Vols' recruiting future. There's the vast experience that Monte Kiffin has and the young up-and-coming coach that is in charge of it all, Lane Kiffin.
That's what Orgeron is selling.
"Look at Lane Kiffin on offense, who has been an NFL head coach. Look at Monte Kiffin, who is the best defensive coordinator in the history of football," Orgeron said. "I think any good player would like to listen to that."
Indeed. But can Orgeron, with all of his recruiting prowess, make an impact in the month remaining in the construction of the 2009 class, or should UT fans be thinking about 2010?
"There's no question that we're going after the best players today," Orgeron said. "We also will set the standard in which we're going to recruit, which is going to be from early in the morning to late at night. We're going to be very concrete and very organized and go after the best players in America."
Darren Myles is one of those players UT will focus on. The safety from Carver High School in Atlanta was thinking Vols even before Orgeron was hired. An early phone call from Monte Kiffin had Myles listening.
"He told me I was the first recruit he called," said Myles, who is considering UT, Alabama, LSU, West Virginia and Ohio State.
Myles has his mind set to be the next Eric Berry.
"When I look at him, I kind of see myself," Myles said of Berry. "We're kind of the same. We like to hit, we're physical and we can cover."
Sounds like a Monte Kiffin type of player and an Orgeron type of recruit. Kiffin stepped out of a recruiting meeting Friday afternoon to share some more thoughts about Orgeron, who has starred as a recruiter during a championship run at Miami and Southern California and a rebuilding effort at Ole Miss.
"That's what we're meeting about right now," Kiffin said of the 2009 class. "This guy's awesome. He's unbelievable."
Even though he's been in the NFL, expect Orgeron to have a plan in place for UT. Much of that plan will center on Memphis, far too often the land of lost recruits for UT.
Star Memphis prospect Marlon Brown called the acquisition of Monte Kiffin and Orgeron "huge". Brown is impressed. UT fans should be as well.
Orgeron would have been big enough for UT's recruiting. So would a semi-retired Monte Kiffin. But as readily apparent in Friday's energetic press conference, Kiffin is far from ready to hang it up.
"You have to get players in, then coach them," Kiffin said. "Some get the players in then don't know how to coach them and then some don't know how to recruit."
That shouldn't be a problem for UT, at least based on the initial hires, which have its staff more than half complete.
Kiffin will have to adjust. When he last recruited, the recruiting calendar started in December, shortly after the season concluded. Now it's year round. But at least recruiters nowadays don't have to deal with the days of almost constant contact.
"With all the rules and regulations, it's easier now," Kiffin said. "Nothing compares to the old days. That's what I tell my son."
Recruiting-wise, nothing seems too hard for this staff. There's an affinity, if not a love, for recruiting that must be present to be great on National Signing Day on Feb. 4.
"I love everything from A to Z," Orgeron said of recruiting. "I like the people. I like the grind. I like the evaluation, the challenge to see something in a young man that maybe someone else doesn't see."
Dave Hooker covers recruiting. He can be reached at hookerd@knoxnews.com.
UT's new $45 million football…
Vanderbilt 93, Tennessee 79, Feb. 9…
Tennessee 69, South Carolina 57 men's…
Scripps Interactive Newspapers Group
Comments » 52
Hucklebuckle writes:
Can't wait for Hooker's audio clips now that BIG O is in town...
lowman4vols writes:
love it
hotrodvol writes:
I get fired up just reading quotes from coach O. I could not imagine being a highly recruited athlete and him setting in my living room telling me about UT, he would be hard to turn down.
rockytopatl writes:
Get Rodney Garner and the sky is the limit.
pdhuff#552644 writes:
"You have to get the players in, then coach them"!
What's up with a philosophy like that?
Trying to win or something? Gezeesus.
graphpro#231211 writes:
The South Shall RISE AGAIN!!! And it'll be in Ktown
txvolsfan writes:
Great staff so far, let's keep it going!!!
PS: Please keep your opinion's to yourself Gatorzzz
only Gator fan welcome is 99
bone03162002 writes:
I CAN'T WAIT TIL THE 2009 SEASON STARTS. I JUST LISTENING TO MONTE AND COACH O THE WAY THEY ARE TALKING JUST GET ME FIRED UP TO BE A TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER FAN. GO BIG ORANGE HELL YEAH
miamiVOL writes:
if TN lands R.Garner, consider the ATL pipe line back open - with Myles being the first of many studs outta ATL. Bama is also trying to zero in on the ATL area (back 2 back opening games in the Ga Dome) but if TN lands Garner, it will give Rocky Top the edGe
dc_4_ut writes:
You have stepped your game up Hooker. Keep up the good work!!
bluetick writes:
I'm sure they get their allotment of players before signing day. There's probably going to be some suprises.
tapeworm writes:
Now that UT has decided to base its recruiting strategy on convincing kids that their best chance to play for the NFL is signing with the Vols, then they also need to add a "Professional Athletics" major to the academic side. I'm actually serious about this. Kids have no idea what awaits them in the NFL, or any other professional sport or coaching assignment, and 3-4 years of study could prove to be invaluable in making them better teammates and better guardians of their own lives and the lives of those they touch. After all, colleges offer majors in practically every other field of endeavor, so why not professional athletics?
JMP_Vols writes:
With Orgeron now on staff, it'd shocked and disappointed if we didn't sign Marlon Brown.
If Coach O plans to center on Memphis, landing Brown would be a giant step in the right direction.
bugman (Inactive) writes:
the story of fulmers life. get the players in and then cant coach them. story of his life......
ncvol17 writes:
commitments mean little.. ask cadillac williams and chris simms
keep after them all until the ink is dry or the fax is received..
MikeInTN writes:
Gee, you must be worried about us, or you'd be concentrating more on "The Game" next week instead of browsing this board!!
rabidvol1998 writes:
At least you are not prone to hyperbole or exaggeration.
JMP_Vols writes:
I think Montgomery and Brown are both possibilities. Signing both should yeild a top 15 class (assuming current commits don't jump).
Carroll will stay close to home, probably Cal.
I believe landing Brown would be a huge get for this staff. Brown has several really good options, all with better offenses than what we fielded.
The fact that Kiffin and crew could secure him, even with him being from TN, makes me really optimistic for 2010.
JBruce writes:
Think Ed Orgeron is important to Tennessee's future success?
Monte Kiffin quote: "It was huge. Lane kept saying, the key is Ed Orgeron."
Orgeron is UT's ultimate insurance policy in the great Lane Kiffin experiment.
"That's what we're meeting about right now," Kiffin said of the 2009 class. "This guy's awesome. He's unbelievable."
"I love everything from A to Z," Orgeron said of recruiting. "I like the people. I like the grind. I like the evaluation, the challenge to see something in a young man that maybe someone else doesn't see."
Sounds like Tennessee should have saved themselves about $2 million and just hired Ed as head coach.
JMP_Vols writes:
Ole Miss already trailblazed that idea.
Didn't turn out well.
JMP_Vols writes:
Agreed.
Most of my Arkansas friends hated him, but I've always felt Houston Nutt was a pretty solid gameday coach.
He's taking all that talent Orgeron collected and maximizing it. Ole Miss will be a handful for the next couple years.
Surprised they handled
Tech like that. Been pretty disappointed with the Big 12's showing in the bowls.
VOLFORLIFE writes:
bug, haven't you been paying attention? Fulmer's gone, okay? He's gone and we're beginning a new Big Orange chapter. Let the Fulmer bashing go, once and for all. Please?
GO VOLS!!!
JUGHEAD
NoogaVol55 writes:
Anybody read Meat Market??? I am reading it right now...While EO was a wildman, that guy is intense when it comes to recruiting...I recommend the book for anybody looking for a good read.
murrayvol writes:
I believe the Big 12 will continue to disappoint next Thursday.....but after the Sugar Bowl who the hell knows.
Slystone writes:
Article taken from a MS. poster in the Commercial Appeal. Very interesting.
Posted by DesotoMSA on January 2, 2009 at 8:41 p.m.
Big mistake Lane. Coach "O" comes to UT with enough baggage to fill a 747, and some of that baggage is really, really ugly. While it is absolutely true that "O" was an excellent recruiter while at Ole Miss. What is also clear is that his last recruiting class was his worst, and word had spread throughout the S.E.C. of his mental instability and the brutality he inflicted on his prized recruits. Truth is that "O's" inability to coach his way out of a paper bag had made him the joke of the S.E.C. Orgeron's caveman mentality led him to try to beat and punish his players into winning. His former players are only now exposing how vindictive, brutal and dangerous Orgeron's practices had become. It never occurred to "o" that he might be the problem, and he never tried to improve as a coach. His old players tell of Saturday game days when they were simply physically and mentally exhausted. It's hard to win when a team can only concentrate on surviving its psychotic and sociopathic coach. Now that he has been exposed, coach "O" will face a lot of doors slammed in his face when he calls on recruits. Some may even call 911 if he appears. Particularly telling is how his old team played with a new coach. The Rebels went from 3-9 under "O" to 9-3 with new coach Houston Nutt and won the cotton bowl with the same players Orgeron had recruited. Mama's wont let their babies play for the criminally insane.
Ironcity writes:
The first 3 paragraphs are pretty accurate. The forth paragraph makes me think your getting scared.
JBruce writes:
"<<<As long as the Vols recruit clean>>>, expect UT to be loaded with talent for the next guy - thanks to Orgeron."
What the heck did Hooker mean by this statement??
Anybody get an Escalade and $42,000 that I don't know about?
orangevolz writes:
Just curious...have you ever posted on a gator website? Also, negative recruiting is part of the game. All schools do it. You are just jealous because your Gators did not get Orgeron.
invisiblekid writes:
I've got a question, with all this chatter about Orgeron's past and how shady he is, how much time has Ole Miss and USC spent on probation due to his supposed antics?
orangevolz writes:
More propaganda. We can expect to hear more and more of it. When folks are jealous, they start making up lies.
WeLoveTennesseeVols writes:
Does this tirade really do any of us any good? What is this DC florida guy afraid of anyway? If you are not man enough for the long haul, you can forget about the short haul , whoever you are! You know were you enamored with Coach fulmer's recruiting? While you are at it, predict the future for us, wins and loses next year for 10 teams, you take them, and post them. Also list their head recruiting coordinators and the cologne they use also.
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
I have thought this for years. I'd like to see the big time sports schools do more on that. I think some offer 'sports management', but I don't know the curriculum.
The real shame?? You'll read constantly about former NFL players living in a trailer park. How the hell does that happen?? They get ripped and raped by agents, family, friends, and their own noticeable stupidity.
Perhaps a few courses in 'keepin' my dough', 'how to use a rubber', and 'were'd my f***ing money go' would help??
pdhuff#552644 writes:
"People feel like they need to take a shower after being around him".
Like Jack Sells, huh.
OrangeAppeal writes:
It's funny how I don't recall this being a problem in '98. Tell us what happened oh wise one.
BTW bugface, a face shield would help while you're out on the recruiting trail on your moped.
john#208876 writes:
Stop posting pictures of yo mama!
chuckfromwoodbury writes:
I had heard that the fulmer lovers would attempt to keep Coach O from getting the job because phailed phil can't stand him. It's a good hire in my opinion for that reason alone. If fulmer doesn't like him, he must be a great coach.
jimr07 writes:
DC you must be a teenager because a mature responsible adult would not come into someone else's home and hurl insults at the guest. of course, when i see your posts i just consider the source and know that an immature jerk is posting.
tsur59#443932 writes:
Hey Haacker - whats with the "The Great Lane Kiffin experiment" you speak of in this article? Is that anything like Citadel Broadcastings "Great Sports Animal Experiment"?
I sure as heck hope not
volroadwarrior writes:
From a poster? Talk about lack of credibility. Probably originated from someone who got their feelings hurt.
I would think Kiffin would have known about and considered what O did at Ole Miss and was satisfied that he will be a good fit.
volroadwarrior writes:
The only ones who will need a shower are the big ugly OLs after he works their butts off in practice.
volroadwarrior writes:
My bad. Should have been DLs.
10volunteers98 writes:
Monte Kiffin says "Some get the players in,then don`t
know how to coach them.Bingo!Just what I`ve been saying
for years about U.T.Too often the Vols have struggled
with teams they were supposed to crush.And,sometimes
they would even lose to those teams,when the other
teams had much less talent than U.T.I say it all
amounted to inadequate coaching,and poor game
preparation.Like it or not,Fulmer fans.Looks like that
is all about to change.Happy days are here again!GO,VOLS!
Timed_vol (Inactive) writes:
Did y'all see this?? it is TOO DAMN FUNNY. It's on yahoo today, a USC receiver...
http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football...
I LMFAO on this one.
MidTennVol writes:
Get Reuben Randle from LA and Moses from VA.
tennrich1 writes:
There's one HUGE difference. He was running the show at Ole Miss....even if this "stuff" is true he will not be in charge...He'll have others to be accountable to...
HonoluluVol writes:
Let's say UT will rise again and call it even.
HonoluluVol writes:
Carroll isn't going to USC. He's about 1 in 100 about going. The reason is because USC can't tell him how they plan on using him. They keep changing. Steve Sarkisian left also. If you watched the All Army game when they had the USC commitments in a segment, he said his name first and really gave off the impression that he didn't want to be there, and that he was there cause he had to be. All the others were happy and smiling, but he stood there like when is this going to be over. He also likes Cal and considering ASU I believe and now plans a visit to UT. I wouldn't count us out. I think Brown will come. And Jeffery will follow Carroll here. Jeffery and Carroll know our WR suck, and would be immediate impact players. They know about the QB situation also, but you know Kiffin is counting on the #1 QB for 2010, the Heaps kid from Washington state. If he's telling them that as a selling point they may come. Heaps was already offered by Phil and Kiffin told him he would still honor the scholly.
HonoluluVol writes:
If the guy had placed some quotes from the former players about the alleged abuse, like he said they said, it would be more believeable. Sounds like a hater. Who cares what a Ole Miss fan has to say about anything. Do you actually think they would say, wow Kiffin that was a great hire you got there. I would read too much into that post you posted.
bkgunter writes:
You're a half-wit. Fulmer coached UT through its best period ever. The Vol Nation's collective expectation level was set by that staff---for recruiting and coaching. We all hope for the best for CLK and Co., but the odds are WAY against duplicating the success of the past administration. And to everyone who will pile on to defend this guy---HE BROUGHT IT UP!
bigorangebolt writes:
Big Orange Nation:
I am so fired up now! When is kickoff? Guys, we have assembled an incredible staff! Now, we need players with persistence and determination, who are so hungry for success! It is GREAT TO BE A TENNESSEE VOLUNTEER!
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.