Lane Kiffin's Mother Worries About Son's Safety in 1st Game Back at Tennessee

Tennessee fans will never forget the way former Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin bolted for USC in January 2010 after just one season in Knoxville. This Saturday marks the first time Kiffin, now the offensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide, will return to Neyland Stadium since he resigned.

The return to Knoxville has Kiffin's mother, Robin, very concerned for her son's safety. She spoke to CBS Sports' Jon Solomon about her son's relationship with Tennessee fans.

"

Lane sent it [a Tosh.0 sketch] to me on a family group text. It was awful. That language is horrible. ... They never leave him alone. I don't see them picking on anybody else like that. That guy at Texas Tech (Mike Leach), he locked a quarterback in a shed and he gets another job. Are they still talking about that? No. The Arkansas guy (Bobby Petrino) gets caught on a motorcycle wreck with another woman and he gets another job. Are they talking about him? No.

"

The Kiffins know that Neyland Stadium is going to be a hostile environment for Lane. The family isn't taking any chances, which is why the kids will not be in attendance.

However, he doesn't have a choice. He has a job to do. Robin just wishes that her son would coach from the press box this weekend.

"I'm scared to death for his safety," Robin Kiffin said. "Some people were visiting us last weekend from Tennessee, and they said they better not let him on the sideline (where Kiffin coaches at Alabama), they should put him in the press box. I want him to be in the press box."

Although it doesn't happen frequently, fans have been known to run onto the field during games. That has to make Kiffin's family a bit uneasy.

Kiffin led Tennessee to a 7-6 record back in 2009. When the Trojans came calling in 2010, he took the job. He lasted less than four years at USC before getting fired. It didn't take him long to catch on with another program—this time as an offensive coordinator for Nick Saban's team.

The coach's exit didn't sit well with Volunteers fans. On Saturday, Tennessee fans can let Kiffin know they haven't forgotten about him. For the sake of her son, Robin is hoping that booing is the only thing that happens.