In July at SEC Media Days, Lane Kiffin was a star among Tennessee fans. Today, he is a bunch of hot air. (Staff Photo)

By Graham Dunn
RRS Editor
(Jan. 14, 2010)

It’s January. The columnists needed a nice, hot subject to fill the time between now and Super Bowl week.

Thank you Lane.

Great timing. You seem to have that talent. As for coaching abilites? Well…

In a few years, memories of Lane Kiffin’s ties to the University of Tennessee will center on thoughts of a near-upset of national champ Alabama, his Barbie Doll wife and sending blonde co-eds to high school football games for recruiting purposes.

Otherwise, nobody has done less and gotten more publicity than this guy.

In reality, all of this is a road show, a medicine man who has the elixir to brighten a football fan’s spirits. That’s about the extent of his success.

Lane Kiffin is being raked over the coals by pundits for his unprofessional actions. But leaving a program after a year is not the end of the world. It hurts the pride of the Tennessee faithful, might hurt recruiting to a point. But that’s the extent. The Vols will bounce back.

So, what does all this mean? Should football fans be surprised at the audacity of a one-year coach to leave and act like nothing is out of the ordinary?

In a world where Maury Povich still has a TV show, there are no real surprises anymore. Kiffin has done nothing in his short career to be appointed head coach at any level. Think about it… what must coaches do to earn the position Kiffin now has or had in the last three years?

Kiffin got here the same way Madonna sold records – by keeping everybody stirred to a frazzle.  Only without the tight shorts and busty blouse.

Kiffin is nothing more than a 30-something blowhard who loves to hear his name mentioned with reckless abandon. Who cares if he breaks the rules? What does it matter if he steps on somebody on the way to the next seat on the throne?

He’s been called brash, boorish, even foolish.  But don’t call him stupid. With each shot taken at Urban Meyer, Kiffin has gotten one step closer to his ultimate goal, which I believe was to be the replacement for Pete Carroll.

In his two-plus years as a head coach, Kiffin’s biggest victory came against a mediocre Georgia squad. He all but counts close losses to Florida and Alabama as something to brag about. He speaks highly of his recruiting prowess.

But who is to know if he’s all that good? He’s yet to stick around to see the fruits of his labor.

Kiffin’s interest is having his name in the headlines. When he speaks, he wants everyone to listen… make that react. If they don’t, he says something with more fire or disingenuous fervor that will catch the attention. Rules be damned if it allows the new master of gab to maintain his place among the top fold.

Kiffin is a walking reality show dressed up as a football coach. If his antics shock the masses, he has succeeded.

In his world, that’s what the young football players like. Why play for a coach who does things conventionally when you can play for a cartoon character?

Here is the sad part - the system keeps rewarding him for his behavior.  As a part of one of the most successful college programs in the country, he has reached his summit in the profession. He didn’t have to work very hard to get it.

More than likely, all of this will play out and Kiffin will fade into the sunset like any other production. His shtick will get old; the support will deminish with more losses and he will find himself starving for attention that is usually reserved for winners.

Or, he might win a Pac-10 championship or two and settle in enough to keep USC fans happy while swatting at conference members along the way. But once he leaves L.A., the Trojan fans will probably have similar statements as their Tennessee counterparts.

No doubt UT fans will be pulling like crazy for the Trojans’ biggest opponent next season – the NCAA Infractions Committee – to lay it on ‘em. They might even hold a pep rally the day before the infractions are announced. They could hold it right by the area where mattresses went up in flames Tuesday.

But this is the system bred by overzealous demands to win at any cost. We are to the point that the agents of coaches are household names while the school presidents are vilified if they hire the wrong guy, as if that’s the main job.

The world of sports will move forward in a day or two or right after Tennessee names another head coach.

And when it happens, make sure Kiffin gets the last word on the subject. It should be a doozy.