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Lane Kiffin Angers Most of Tennessee Thanks to Eric Bieniemy

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You would think that a high-profile college profile college football program like the University of Successful Cheaters Southern California would have an offensive coordinator at this point in time.  Unfortunately, when your program is led by Lane Kiffin, who is on his way to becoming the biggest jerk in the ranks of football coaching at any level (if he isn't already there),and your season begins with a trip to Hawai'i on 2 September, this is apparently the appropriate time to hire someone to be your right-hand man on offense.

Obviously, you need someone that's a pretty good coach to fill that sort of role, so it isn't entirely surprising that Kiffin set his sights on Vikings' running back coach Eric Bieniemy.  After all, Bieniemy is regarded as one of the better running back coaches in the NFL. . .save that whole "we need to get Adrian Peterson to stop putting the damn ball on the ground" thing. . .and is said to have a pretty bright future in the coaching ranks.  However, Kiffin followed procedure in this case, and asked the Vikings for permission to speak to Bieniemy about the position.  In response to this, the Vikings thought it in their best interests to give Bieniemy a raise in pay and a promotion to assistant head coach in order to keep him around.  Solid move by Minnesota to keep the man around, in my opinion.

So, Kiffin said to himself, "Hmmmmmm, let's see here. . .I asked the team for permission to speak to a coach, and they did something to keep that coach from leaving.  I think next time I might skip that step."  And so it came to pass that the job was offered to Tennessee Titans' running backs coach Kennedy Pola.  The folks at Music City Miracles really don't seem to be too broken up about it, largely because their old running backs coach (Earnest "The Fumble" Byner) was let go by the Titans this off-season for no real reason so that they could hire Pola.  So now, Pola is out of there before even coaching a game with the Titans.

However, this didn't stop Jeff Fisher (a Southern Cal alum) from being tremendously angry with Kiffin anyway.

"I am very disappointed in Lane Kiffin’s approach to this,’’ Fisher said. "Typically speaking, when coaches are interested in hiring or discussing potential employment from coaches on respective staffs, there is a courtesy call made from the head coach or athletic director indicating there is an interest in talking to the assistant.

"So I am very disappointed in the lack of professionalism on behalf of Lane, to call me and leave me a voicemail after Kennedy had informed me he had taken the job. It is just a lack of professionalism.’’

So, it's sort of a bad situation in Tennessee right now, but it could be much, much worse.

I mean, after all. . .it could have been us.

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What amazes me are the job's that Kiffin has got

as a coach with no real resume to speak of. He has accomplished nothing, other than being the OC of one of the most talent laden cheating teams of all time. He was a failure as the Raiders coach, yet it landed him the Tennessee job.

Seriously, Al Davis called him crazy, and he got one of the better head college coaching jobs in the country…which he ran out on after one year to go to USC.

How does this happen?

"Whoever said that the pen is mightier than the sword never encountered automatic weapons."

by Ted Glover on Jul 24, 2010 8:59 PM CDT reply actions  

Not surprised at all

Lane Kiffin is one of the most classless individuals in sports IMO

"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backward in a mirror" ~George Carlin

by thewild_viking_twins on Jul 24, 2010 9:27 PM CDT reply actions  

I think I'm most surprised

That USC didn’t have an Offensive Coordinator yet. Aren’t they just weeks from practice?

by Cobra312004 on Jul 24, 2010 9:38 PM CDT reply actions  

HAH

I’ve been saying this for like 4 years…Lane Kiffin is a garbage human being. Both he and Pete Carroll are the epitome of what is wrong with sports, and it started with both at the college level, where they work with kids.

I might be old, I’m all of 32 years, but never in life have I seen a couple of douchebags like Lane Kiffin and Pete Carroll. Lying to kids, skirting the rules, and saying it’s ok to cheat cheat cheat to win. Eff both of these guys.

I covered Cretin sports for the last two years, and i told Seantrel Henderson to his face that USC would be a bad decision. Not because I think he should be a Gopher, but because that program is a joke. I told him to go to Ohio State, Miami, Florida, anywhere but USC. And now he is a college free agent, he should never have accepted a letter of intent to play at USC.

Lane Kiffin is a garbge human being. I’ll say it again and again…until someone listens.

by toke1 on Jul 24, 2010 10:32 PM CDT reply actions  

Actually

Didn’t Henderson commit to Miami after he got out of his USC letter of intent?

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by Christopher Gates on Jul 24, 2010 11:47 PM CDT up reply actions  

hes soo full of doodoo

hes so full of doodoo his eyes are brown.his dad is held in high standing and his son is just a POS. guess crazy man davis was right to doodoo can his arse. how does this guy keep getting head coaching jobs?

by skol viking on Jul 25, 2010 4:59 AM CDT reply actions  

I'm not sure how it's possible to be disappointed in anything Lane Kiffin does at this point.

Unless he were to murder a puppy, I suppose. That might be slightly unexpected. Otherwise, if you don’t expect him to act like a classless jerk, it can only be because you haven’t been paying attention.

What begins in fear usually ends in folly.

by Ted Simmons Speed Camp on Jul 25, 2010 6:57 AM CDT reply actions  

HA!

Murder a puppy…he’s a PUPPY murderer…allegedly

"Whoever said that the pen is mightier than the sword never encountered automatic weapons."

The Rivalry, Esq.
The Quintessential Big Ten Smoking Room

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by Ted Glover on Jul 25, 2010 9:59 AM CDT up reply actions  

Kiffin would not make it out alive if he ever went to Tennessee.

Guaranteed!

I will be there in person to see some REVENGE on Sept 9th,2010!

Brett Favre is the Greatest QB in NFL History, Bar None!

Brett Favre will be back in 2010, Guaranteed!

Brett Favre will lead the Vikings to a Victory in Super Bowl XLV, Guaranteed!

by REVENGE4FAVRE on Jul 25, 2010 9:53 AM CDT reply actions  

Wow

What a classless act.

At first, when things were blowing up over in Raider Nation, I just thought it was Al “Senile” Davis being his usual jerk self. I mean, here is a guy who thinks he knows a game that has passed by him picking up great player’s, i.e. JaCrappy Russell or berating coach after coach for not “winning it baby”. Though I think with the cutting of JaCrappy, the Raiders have someone else running the show with Ole Senile being shot up with Formaldehyde for public appearances. You know, like Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones. Or is it all the alcohol and drugs that will preserve Richards longer then a Twinkie and Coackroach marriage?

Since that time, after seeing how Lame Kiffin has treated others, brings out all the internal drama into the open, sneaky tactics and now this with the Titans, Shows just what he is. Someone without any scrupples and will cut the throat of anyone to get what he wants. Yeah, one could say “anything to win”, but at least show a little class doing it. I was always taught playing football years ago to be respectful and curtious, as you never know when Karma is gonna bite you in the Arse. Sooner or later, that will happen to this guy. I’m starting to see Lame as the coaching version of Ryan Leaf. Built up as this wonder that’s going to take everything by storm but building up to a massive meltdown.

Would be fitting for Lame

"Over? Did you say over? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!" "Germans?" "Forget it, he's rolling."

by VikesFaninNM on Jul 25, 2010 11:37 AM CDT reply actions  

As a USC fan I say big deal

And for those of you who think that USC cheated, guess again.

Reggie Bush and his “gravy training” parents were the ones that cheated. OJ Mayo cheated too. And a volleyball player misused some cell phone.

What else came up under Carroll?

He left because of Garrett basically and the NCAA BS.

The NCAA is the pimp and all the players are the you know what.

Now Carroll and Kiffin who worked for him and was the offensive coordinator for at least one year are scum.

It really is classless for someone to talk crap about somebody else that they do not know. Always someone willing to talk about someone when they are not in their face. Real manly.

I suppose Monte Kiffin is scum too since he is Lane’s father?

So what he did not hire an OC yet. He is the OC. Maybe he decided to hire one to groom as he liked?

SC recruited well because it was an open competition for all spots all the time. That is why they recruit well besides being USC. And Carroll made it a lot of fun for the kids.

I have yet to hear what Carroll did himself did that was cheating.

How he is suppose to know what Bush’s family is doing 150 miles away is a joke. If Seantrel would have went to SC I guess Kiffin would have to know what is going one with his parents all the way in Minnesota (their living arrangements, transportation, etc). What a crock of crap!

No coach on any team should have to know all of that.

And Jeff Fisher should not be crying as a USC alum.

So his running backs coach now gets a chance to go back to his alma mater and be an offensive coordinator in training. Like Fisher would have denied him this opportunity. Yeah right.

And Bieniemy would have done no better than Pola. Neither one has experience calling an offense. This sounds more like a running backs coach hire with a bogus offensive coordinator title too.

This is much ado about nothing and another excuse for all of you USC haters to talk crap.

You will never read any post from me talking about any other schools the way some of you are posting in here about USC.

I know what a hater is and so do most of you.

by MarkSP18 on Jul 25, 2010 8:33 PM CDT reply actions  

There is no way...NO WAY

Pete Carroll or one of the coaches didn’t have an idea of what was going on. By all accounts Monte Kiffin is a stand up guy, and by all accounts his son isn’t. It’s from multiple sources from three teams.

And Pete Carroll left because he knew the hammer was about to come down on USC, and he got while he still had a reputation and could cash in on one last NFL payday.

"Whoever said that the pen is mightier than the sword never encountered automatic weapons."

The Rivalry, Esq.
The Quintessential Big Ten Smoking Room

The Daily Norseman
The SB Nation Blog for All Things Minnesota Vikings

SBN Minnesota
Minnesota's SB Nation Regional Sports Site

by Ted Glover on Jul 25, 2010 9:07 PM CDT up reply actions  

Yeah, it definitely seemed a bit fishy that Carroll finally decided to take a job in the league after turning down how many offers over the years? I think it’d be silly for anyone to assume that Carroll didn’t know about the things coming USC’s way.

I think there is the possibility that Carroll actually didn’t know what was going on with Bush but at the same time, I kind of find that hard to believe.

by packallday555 on Jul 25, 2010 9:51 PM CDT up reply actions  

That does not make Pete Carroll a scumbag as some have suggested.

It makes Reggie Bush’s parents “gravy trainers” and Bush the selfish kid that he was.

USC should be punished for not having their compliance department up to snuff.

The only thing they should have had a clue about what his old Impala that he got some wheels and a stereo for. The car and accessories were really not that much money. The problem was in some forms he needed to fill out and then inquiring as to how he purchases the car.

That is the only thing they could have known about. By seeing him driving a different car they could have asked but if he filled out the forms and the compliance department OK’d it what are they to do? They cannot do a separate investigation themselves.

There are plenty of players at USC that come from wealthy families where the student can be driving a brand new more expensive car than what Reggie had and their parents could have bought it.

I do not put that on coaches at any school. The compliance department should handle that. The coaches have enough to do recruiting and trying to win.

Like at Oklahoma when the players were “working” at the local dealership but not actually working. How is the coach suppose to know that? Is he suppose to send somebody by the dealership to see if the players are there? Is he suppose to call the dealership and find out their schedules to check on it themselves. Too much is blamed on coaches when most of the rules are arcane and force kids to try and do whatever they can just to get a few things. Some kids are truly poor. And they cannot work during the season. Meanwhile the NCAA is raking in hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars.

I do not blame any coach who is not doing something directly.

I do not buy that Lane Kiffin is a prick as some make him out to be. So he left Tennessee. Big deal. Tennessee is a fine institution and will do great without him. It is an opportunity for another coach. I did not particularly like it myself but I guess he felt USC was a better school to coach at for him. Not a better school. Just for him. When a job opens up you have to take it if you really want it. It is called an opportunity.

As for Kennedy Pola, well he is not going to be much of an OC this first year. I truly believe he is really looking for a RB coach. Fisher should be happy for Pola. He can get another guy to coach up Chris Johnson. Not that there is much to do. Fisher is being a bit sensitive IMO. he was on the hot seat last year and could be on it again this year. If Tennessee does not do well the owner could can Fisher and his whole staff. Then what would he say to Kennedy Pola then? Oh maybe you should have taken that opportunity to go and train to be an OC at USC.

Please.

by MarkSP18 on Jul 26, 2010 6:38 AM CDT up reply actions  

When you ask these questions
Like at Oklahoma when the players were "working" at the local dealership but not actually working. How is the coach suppose to know that? Is he suppose to send somebody by the dealership to see if the players are there? Is he suppose to call the dealership and find out their schedules to check on it themselves?

As a matter of fact, he is. If not him, then someone on the coaching staff. That’s part of their job description. They are there to make sure their players stay within NCAA compliance.

Now when you say the rules are arcane, and some kids need extra money because they’re truly poor, and the NCAA is making hundreds of millions off of them, we are in complete agreement, and the system needs to be reformed.

"Whoever said that the pen is mightier than the sword never encountered automatic weapons."

The Rivalry, Esq.
The Quintessential Big Ten Smoking Room

The Daily Norseman
The SB Nation Blog for All Things Minnesota Vikings

SBN Minnesota
Minnesota's SB Nation Regional Sports Site

by Ted Glover on Jul 26, 2010 7:55 AM CDT up reply actions  

I agree

But I think it is the athletic director who is responsible for manning the compliance department and ensuring that things are being complied with.

I think that is why Garrett was forced to retire.

IMO I cant put it on any coach. I think the coaches are busy trying to coach at any school.

by MarkSP18 on Jul 26, 2010 12:07 PM CDT up reply actions  

This is the kind of thing that happens when a guy gets over-promoted without any experience and is suddenly in over his head. Such people have to learn on the job, which hardly ever works out.

Of course, the whole country is going through something similar.

by Bodysuit Man on Jul 26, 2010 11:27 AM CDT reply actions  

Bienemy

I haven’t really been all that impressed with Bienemy personally. I mean, as a coach, it’s hard to not look good when you have a team of running backs like Adrian Peterson and Chester Taylor, but I think as a coach it is his job to fix things in a players game that needs fixing…. and I think some of Peterson’s issues have gotten worse.

Peterson is a great athlete so he’ll always look good out there, but he was no where near as explosive last year as when he first came into the league… and then there’s that fumbling problem…

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by TheJazzyOne on Jul 26, 2010 2:10 PM CDT reply actions  

The Vikings have been impressed with his coaching.

If others want to hire you because of your reputation you have probably earned it.
If your employer promotes you ,in order to keep you, you probably have earned it.
If your boss publicly praises you, you probably have earned it.

Actions speak louder than words. The Vikings actions in keeping Bieniemy speaks volumes as to ability to teach and his future contributions to the Viking offense.

Click here for Childress praise of Bieniemy.

"Is it normal to wake up in the morning in a sweat because you can't wait to beat another human's guts out?"
Joe Kapp

by lifelongvike on Jul 28, 2010 6:47 AM CDT up reply actions  

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