Legend's game: Chow vs. Monte Kiffin

Lane Kiffin would buy a ticket to the Tennessee-UCLA game if he didn’t have to be on the sidelines.

Kiffin’s grin beamed in the Neyland-Thompson Sports Complex on Thursday when asked about the Saturday’s match-up between his father, UT defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, and UCLA offensive coordinator Norm Chow.

“It’s like a legend's game,” Kiffin joked, “(like) when they have a baseball game or the basketball game when they bring the legends back.

“When you think about how decorated both of them are. It’s an unbelievable match-up. And they know each other a little bit.”

The two coaches know each other through Lane Kiffin. Monte Kiffin would visit Southern California when Chow was on the staff to help the Trojans prepare.

But a legend's game?

“I guess all he’s really saying is it’s two old guys, right?” Chow joked on the News Sentinel’s radio show, The Sports Page.

Monte Kiffin seemed only mildly amused at his son’s comment.

“I don’t know where he came up with that,” the elder Kiffin said. “Norm Chow is a legend. I’m just coaching some ball.”

This isn’t the first time the two coached against each other. Chow made his NFL coaching debut in 2005 with the Tennessee Titans against Monte Kiffin when he was defensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

“I recall they beat me pretty good,” Kiffin said.

Not exactly. The Titans lost 20-17 to the Bucs but held the ball for over 17 minutes in the first half, when NFL exhibition games matter most.

Saturday’s game between the two will be the first game to actually mean something. Their resumes are impressive.

Chow won three national coach of the year awards in 2002 and was named the National Assistant Coach of the Year in 1999 by the American Football Foundation.

He is known for developing quarterbacks such as Jim McMahon, Steve Young, Ty Detmer, Phillip Rivers, Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart in his 30-plus years as a college assistant.

As for Kiffin’s three-plus decades, he won a Super Bowl in 2003, is considered the architect of the Tampa 2 defense and was widely considered one of the best coordinators in the NFL when he left the Bucs to join UT’s staff.

Yet the two have been more comrades than rivals throughout their illustrious careers.

Monte Kiffin was often in Los Angeles during the off-season, visiting his son and helping USC’s staff (with Chow as the offensive coordinator) prepare, often for crosstown rivals UCLA.

“He ended up teaching us how to beat them,” Lane Kiffin said.

Monte Kiffin even sat in the press box on some Trojan Orange Bowls when his Bucs had a late season bye before the playoffs.

“Without question he is a tremendous, tremendous football coach,” Chow said, “and somebody that’s going to cause us a lot of problems. Believe me, we’ve spent a lot of late nights here trying to figure this thing out.”

Monte Kiffin was equally as gracious of Chow — in his own way.

“If he missed the flight or something, it wouldn’t hurt my feelings,” Kiffin joked.

Yet Kiffin insists he’s not any more excited to play Chow as he was to topple Western Kentucky in the season opener last Saturday.

“I was jazzed up last week for Western Kentucky,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who you’re playing. It doesn’t matter who the coordinators are.

“Like I tell the team, you’re judged on 12 (Saturdays) in college and you can’t get them back. That’s the way we’ve got to approach every game.”

Lane Kiffin said that type of professional approach is what he tries to teach his players everyday.

“He’s going to sleep here (in the athletic complex) no matter who were playing,” Lane Kiffin said of his father. “He’s still making just as many notes.

“He researches it the same way no matter who it is.”

Chow said he appreciates the Tampa 2 defense but said Monte Kiffin is as much about teaching players as he is about developing scheme.

“He’s coached his guys so well,” Chow said. “I’m not so sure it’s the scheme itself. It’s the little nuances within the scheme where Monte has the advantage over us because he understands that.”

One gets the feeling that the chess match between Monte Kiffin and Chow began long before Saturday’s kickoff.

“I don’t know if they showed everything last week or not,” Monte Kiffin said, referring to UCLA 33-14 season-opening win against San Diego State. “They didn’t do much three wide (receivers) last week. I don’t know if that’s going to be the plan for the year.

“They have a really good tight end. They could be using that guy as a third wide receiver. Just depends on how the game gets going, then you’ve got to make some adjustments.”

With Monte Kiffin wondering aloud if Chow played possum, it’s only natural to wonder the same about the Vols.

“I’m not holding anything back,” Monte Kiffin quickly retorted.

© 2009, Knoxville News Sentinel Co.
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