While I usually don't troll over to rival sites and lurk, I just couldn't resist the opportunity to play voyeur during this period of angst and Vile capitulation! Having already posted a link with a Volquest interview, I found the following timeline rather interesting........
Say what you will about our rollercoaster ride in hiring a DC, but nothing quite reaches the sloppy, damn near amateurish nature of the USC/Kiffin train wreck. Personally, I am thankful for CMR, his ethics, Damon and the manner in which we've handled our pursuit of a qualified candidate. Take note of the number of offers tendered and turned down before Lame's name entered into the picture...
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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.
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I believe I commented earlier that this UFK nightmare made our situation rather boring...needless to say I didn't quite realize the depth of Boy Wonders ego and how quickly he could change his aspirations......
Wow!!!....I am speechless...and THAT doesn't happen very often!
GO DAWGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
"My advice to you is to start drinking heavily." - Bluto