neugey

Karma biting Tenn back for firing Fulmer.

DblBogey

Email from TN Booster:
Kiffin-USC Timeline

Here's a relatively detailed and informative timeline of events compiled by
the VolQuest staff regarding Lane Kiffin's abrupt departure to become head
coach at Southern Cal ...

Last Thursday night, Lane Kiffin and Ed Oregeron planned to fly to San
Antonio to begin meeting with parents of prospects at the U.S. Army
All-American Bowl; it's the same time that Alabama is beating Texas for BCS
title. Pete Carroll serves as guest analyst for ESPN but never indicates
change is coming.

So how did Tennessee go from having a coach hot on the recruiting trail
stirring chatter of a top 3 class to starting a search for a new head coach
on January 13? Here is the timeline of events over the last week that has
led the Vols to this point.

- By noon Friday, Lane, Orgeron and Monte Kiffin are in San Antonio. They
don't arrive the previous night in order to accommodate Monte Kiffin's
request to join them on the recruiting trip.

Meanwhile, chatter about Carroll leaving USC for the Seattle Seahawks, who
fire Jim Mora after just one 5-11 season, is running rampant. Speculation
continues throughout the weekend that Carroll is going to accept the
Seahawks' offer reported at five years for $35 million

At the same time, the Vols keep recruiting and pick up key commitments from
Ahmad Dixon and Brandon Willis Friday night and Saturday afternoon

- On Sunday, Kiffin sits courtside with a significant donor for the Vols'
win over Kansas in basketball, walking off the court triumphantly with Bruce
Pearl and the two shared a hug caught on camera.

By now, Mike Riley of Oregon State and Jeff Fisher of the Tennessee Titans
reportedly have told USC no thanks to replace Carroll, who is officially
hired by Seattle by this time.

Reports surface that the Trojans then target Jack Del Rio, a USC alumnus and
head coach of the Jackonsville Jaguars. Del Rio turns down USC midday
Tuesday, though speculation focuses on former NFL coach Steve Mariucci.

Meanwhile, Lane Kiffin begins to be in contact with USC officials Monday
night

It's still considered a longshot at this point. But when Del Rio apparently
says thanks but no thanks, things move at a lightning-quick pace with Kiffin

- Though he's in Orlando representing UT at the SEC meeting conducted at the
AFCA convention there, Kiffin also is in constant contact throughout the day
with USC officials, agent Jimmy Sexton and Vols athletics director Mike
Hamilton.

By around 7 p.m. ET, Kiffin has agreed in principle to be the Trojans' next
head coach and makes clear he will bring his father, Monte, and Orgeron,
with him. He also moves swiftly to hire Norm Chow as his offensive
coordinator. The two previously worked together at USC, and Chow has just
wrapped up a brief stint at rival UCLA.

Tennessee officials around 7:30 inform players of a called meeting at 9:15
p.m. Tuesday night
Players are confused by the meeting; they already have conducted a 90-minute
meeting the previous night that was in preparation of the start of the
spring semester that begins today.

- The story breaks around 8:30 p.m., though speculation has run rampant
prior to this. Hamilton is in Denver, Colo., on official business for the
University of Tennessee. He receives a very brief, concise phone call from
Kiffin informing Hamilton of Kiffin's decision to leave. There will be no
changing Kiffin's mind.

During a brief and contentious meeting with players at 9:15, Kiffin is
confronted about Orgeron calling current Vol commitments and early enrollees
about joining them at Southern Cal. Players place a call on speakerphone and
eyewitnesses say that Orgeron is heard trying to recruit players to USC.
Kiffin says it's not him and that he has no knowledge of the matter and that
he cannot control Orgeron. Kiffin is reminded in blunt, if not explicit,
terms that he's the one who hired Orgeron.

Within minutes, Orgeron's university-supplied cell phone is shut off

- After expressing their displeasure in Kiffin's final team meeting, players
begin filing out of the Neyland-Thompson Complex where several were
overheard calling Kiffin and the departing staff traitors. Defensive end Ben
Martin is in the middle of Johnny Majors Blvd. screaming "Bring back Phil,
expletive."

- At roughly 9:45, after calling a recruit, Kiffin briefly gives a statement
to a group of media members. Kiffin has indicated he will take questions if
the TV cameras are not rolling during this time. WBIR news director Bill
Shory becomes the centerpiece of the controversy, refusing to allow his
station's cameras to be switched off or to not roll video footage during
this time. Kiffin then refuses all questions, speaks roughly 90 seconds and
leaves

Kiffin is chased down the hallway and asked questions, finally responding to
what he told players and what their reaction was

Meanwhile, an angry mob on campus continues to swell in numbers and
intensity. Shirts are ripped and burned; signs bear any number of messages,
most of them involving the term traitor

The Rock is painted with an explicit message for Kiffin

- As the players continue to file out the mob gets more rowdy and moves up
and down Johnny Majors Blvd. at the sight of headlights or noise of a car,
hoping to catch a glimpse of Kiffin so they could offer their "farewell"

- Meanwhile many support staff members are unable to leave because the crowd
becomes centralized and is blocking the entrance way to the staff parking
lot of the Neyland Thompson Sports Complex

- Around 12:30 and with a police escort, Kiffin is driven from campus. His
luxury car is left in its regular parking spot. Kiffin visits briefly with
VolQuest, indicates his plans to work a half-day today and then fly to L.A.
to be introduced as Southern Cal's replacement to Carroll. At his home,
police are stationed outside to prevent any potential issues with fans.

- Meanwhile, at 3 a.m., Monte Kiffin is still in the complex and indicating
he'll spend the night there. Football operations director David Blackburn, a
vital cog in this same process a year ago following the firing of Phillip
Fulmer, assumes a similar role -- and all too familiar position. Blackburn
can't spare the time to drive home and hunkers down for a long night inside
the complex.

Hamilton has landed a few hours earlier in Nashville but already is in
meetings centered on finding Kiffin's replacement. Today at 1, Hamilton will
answer questions.

This much is clear to all who witness the bizarre scene unfold: It's Time to
figure out the new direction of Tennessee football

Hey Goodell . . . This year we will kick ass for free!

ColoWhoDat

BINGO!!!

I remember when the whole thing went down between Kiffin and Al Davis...Everyone was taking Kiffin's side...but it looks like Davis may have been giving us all a hint about the guy's character...

21counterZ-trap

..

Halo

My question is how does a coach, who went 5 and 15 in 1.5 seasons at the Raiders, and 7 and 6 in one year at the Vols a "hot" coach?

He was fired by an NFL team and kicked out the door on his butt for lying, then he gets hired by a "storied" Tennessee football program, then leaves and gets hired by another "storied" football program in USC... and he waited and bolted on the Vols when it was convenient for him.

I just don't get it.