USC Football: 12 Reasons Why We Really Do Like Lane Kiffin
You read it everywhere.
When it comes to USC head coach Lane Kiffin, the venom is voluminous and the hatred is palpable.
Mostly driven by SEC followers and fans groomed to despise USC in general, blogs and chat rooms are rife with haters who can tick off the reasons they detest Kiffin.
He's brash, a cheater, disloyal, etc. and the list goes on.
Blah, blah, blah.
But for USC fans and those willing to look at the man objectively (okay, maybe not "objectively" but with a greater sense of "fairness"), his positive attributes far outweigh the negative.
So haters, if you are here to find more ammunition for your bitterness, you've come to the wrong place.
Rain on someone else's parade.
The only thing you will find here is the sunshine of Lane Kiffin.
And a list of 12 reasons why we really do like him.
No. 12: USC Is Kiffin's "Dream Job"
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When Lane Kiffin took the USC job, he made it very clear that this was the only job he would have left Tennessee for.
Not that it mattered, though.
You see, for the Kiffin haters, to a person, they would have turned down their dream job to stay in a conference where he was being disparaged daily (yes, sarcasm intended).
So despite Kiffin's profuse apologies that his departure was not as he intended, the outcry over his "disloyalty" was profuse.
But for fans of USC's football program, it was heartening to hear that this was young Lane's dream job, and this is why it is included in this list....
No. 11: Kiffin Is "Brash"
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It should be noted that Tennessee fans in particular, and SEC fans in general, are a knowledgeable bunch of folks.
So knowledgeable that Kiffin's brashness was often celebrated rather than disparaged by these astute followers of Vol football.
That is, until Kiffin left for USC.
Then all of sudden, Kiffin's bravado was despicable.
Never mind that Kiffin himself said that his brash behavior was a direct result of his belief that Tennessee needed to get its swagger back and that he felt it needed to start at the top with him.
No, for these fans, when Kiffin traded in burnt orange for cardinal and gold, he all of a sudden became a resolute smartass, incapable of reigning in his own emotions.
Hypocritical?
You bet.
No. 10: Kiffin Had a Great Run as USC's Offensive Coordinator
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It wasn't so long ago that USC had an offense that was just this side of unstoppable.
Leading the way for this mythic group of point scoring juggernauts was none other than Lane Kiffin.
After being named offensive coordinator in 2005, Kiffin's imaginative play calling was an integral part of making USC one of the most feared teams in the entire nation.
For Trojan fans, they don't need to be reminded of the role Kiffin played in shaping USC's prolific offense.
And for these same fans, the memories of those incredible Trojan teams still burn bright in their collective memories.
Now that he is in charge of the program, these fans know it is only a matter of time before he reaches those lofty heights he experienced before leaving for Oakland and that crazy old man, Al Davis.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
No. 9: Lane Kiffin Is Motivated
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You think Kiffin hasn't heard all of the naysayers?
Despite his claims to the contrary, Kiffin is eminently aware of the fact that almost all of the fans who aren't connected with USC would love to see him fail.
Some of these of people are fans of programs that are rivals of the Trojans, but most of them are just blind haters of the man himself.
Oh yeah, Kiffin hears them.
Don't think for a moment that he doesn't use that as motivation for returning USC to the top of the college football pecking order.
And Trojan fans love him for that.
No. 8: He Has Been "Clean" Since His Arrival at USC
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Yes, the litany of missteps Kiffin made at Tennessee is lengthy.
In attempting to return the Volunteers to relevance, he committed a bevy of secondary NCAA violations.
Kiffin has acknowledged that.
He has also gone on record as saying that he regretted some of those actions and that he would not make the same mistakes at USC.
He has been true to his word.
Kiffin has been a model citizen during his stint as the Trojan head coach.
His ability to now "play it by the book" has endeared him to USC fans, but more importantly, it has made new athletic director Pat Haden a true fan of Kiffin.
And at the same time, he has given the despicable NCAA little to whine about as they continue to scrutinize the Trojan under their arbitrary magnifying glass.
Talk about your "win-win" scenarios...
No. 7: Kiffin's Football Acumen
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It wasn't so long ago that Lane Kiffin was being celebrated as one of the finest young minds in college football.
Then he left for the Raiders (more on that later), and all of a sudden, Kiffin found himself on a short list of football "idiots."
Of course, these assertions were usually offered by fans associated with Tennessee or other fans of the SEC.
But those in the know and the vast majority of USC fans knew better.
They knew that coaching for a meddling owner such as Al Davis of the Raiders didn't accurately reflect Kiffin's capabilities.
And these same fans are certain that it is only a matter of time before the rest of the nation, including those SEC fans, knows it too.
No. 6: Pat Haden Likes Him
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For Kiffin, in the final analysis, it doesn't much matter who likes or dislikes him.
As long as USC's athletic director is on his side, all of of the banter from friends and foes alike is just extraneous noise.
USC's athletic director is Pat Haden, and guess what?
Haden likes Kiffin.
In fact, Haden has given Kiffin his full support despite the fact that Kiffin was hired by the Trojan's former AD, Mike Garrett.
This is important, because in addition to all of the other challenges Lane Kiffin faces, he doesn't need to be looking over his shoulder wondering if the axe is being raised by his athletic director.
The security of that knowledge is extremely valuable to Kiffin as he moves forward.
In fact, it is crucial that Pat Haden likes Kiffin, and fortunately for him, Haden does.
Just another reason why we really like Kiffin too.
No. 5: Kiffin Understands the Trojan Tradition
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Whatever else you have to say about Lane Kiffin, what can't be denied is that the man understands Trojan football and the tradition associated with it.
After last years disappointing 8-5 season, Kiffin said that the record was "unacceptable at USC."
He also lamented after a disappointing loss to Notre Dame, breaking an eight year run of victories over the Irish, that "we didn't maintain the tradition of victories over Notre Dame that recent Trojan teams had worked so hard to establish."
Make no mistake about it, Kiffin understands and embraces the rich tradition that is USC football.
In stating his intention to return USC to prominence that is such a large part of that tradition, Kiffin knows that all future USC success will be built of the foundation of the Trojan past.
Just another reason why USC fans really like Kiffin.
No. 4: SEC Fans Hate Kiffin with a Passion
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In a theme that will be continued in the next slide, sometimes you can gauge how much you like a person by the level of animosity that is directed at that individual by people you don't like yourself.
Such is the case with SEC fans and their obsessive preoccupation with disliking Lane Kiffin.
Though they won't admit it, their intense dislike borders on hatred and is almost pathological in nature.
Of course, this is compounded by their dislike of USC and the "tit for tat" discourse that has been going with the two fan bases for years.
So when the Trojans hired Kiffin, the level of rancor reached epic proportions.
Now, if you ask an SEC fan, they will tell you that the Trojans are irrelevant now that the NCAA has leveled their sanctions at USC and they no longer merit their attention.
Then, in the next breath, they will offer a disparaging assessment of Kiffin and warn that he will drag the Trojans down into the abyss.
Can you imagine what they would be saying if USC did "merit their attention?
Regardless of the banter, USC fans by and large don't like the SEC, and if that conference's fans choose to stoke the fires, then Trojan fans will continue to like Kiffin simply because the SEC and their fans don't.
That's a cozy relationship any true fan of the program can embrace.
No. 3: Any Enemy of Al Davis Is a Friend of Mine
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Okay, raise your hand if your idea of a great job includes a cantankerous boss whose senility is threatening to override his ability to run his company.
Oh, and for good measure, don't forget that the company (or in this case the team) that was handed to you was horrible and that any effort you make to improve it is thwarted by the aforementioned cantankerous, bitter, meddling, senile old fella.
What? This doesn't sound like your version of employment heaven?
Welcome to Lane Kiffin's brief but turbulent stint as head coach of Al Davis' Oakland Raiders.
Davis, who holds a "special" place in many Los Angeles natives' hearts for taking the Raiders back to Oakland, is a blight upon the NFL.
And a nightmare to work for.
Yet Kiffin haters will point to his short tenure with Oakland and expect you to agree that Kiffin was an abject failure in the Bay area.
However, these very same people wouldn't last a day in a similar employment arrangement in their line of work.
Make no mistake about it; Al Davis is an A-hole who is almost impossible to work for.
Don't believe me?
Ask Tom Cable.
No. 2: Kiffin Has Assembled a Great Staff
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One of the biggest gripes the haters charge Lane Kiffin with is his relative lack of experience as a head football coach.
Dismissing the fact that even the most seasoned coach had to start somewhere, let's look beyond Kiffin's age and instead focus on reality.
And the reality is that Kiffin has surrounded himself with some of the finest football minds in the nation.
It starts with Monte Kiffin, Lane's father, who has cemented a reputation as a defensive guru and whose innovations include the "cover two" defense which he created and honed at Tampa Bay in the NFL.
Though USC started slow in 2010 under the elder Kiffin, they are expected to be dramatically better this year and much of the credit for that will go to Monte Kiffin.
Then there is Ed Orgeron, the former Mississippi head coach who coaches the defensive line brilliantly and may be the best recruiter anywhere.
While we are at it, lets not forget John Baxter, the special teams coach who is widely regarded as the best in the country at his specialty.
Meanwhile, Willie Mack Garza (secondary coach), Ted Gilmore (receivers), James Cregg (offensive line), Joe Barry (linebackers) and Clay Helton (quarterbacks) are all considered among the best position coaches in the nation.
And for good measure, let's throw in Kennedy Pola as offensive coordinator and also an extraordinary recruiter.
Some have said this is the finest coaching staff in the nation, and Trojan fans, by and large, would probably agree.
And they would also agree that this is yet another reason why we really like Lane Kiffin.
No. 1: Kiffin Can Really, Really Recruit!
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If the foundation for any successful college football program is built on recruiting, then Lane Kiffin is a master house building craftsman.
When Kiffin took over for Pete Carroll after the 2009 season, he had to scramble to keep the Trojan recruiting class intact that year, and he did a magnificent job doing just that.
Then, after the NCAA imposed their impossible sanctions on USC in response to the Reggie Bush scandal and negativity surrounded the program, the doomsayers gleefully said that was it for the Trojans, they were finished for the foreseeable future, especially on the recruiting trail.
So what did Kiffin do?
He rolled up up his sleeves, directed his staff to do the same and departed for any geographical location that would benefit the Trojans and searched for the finest prep talent in the nation.
Determined to sell USC as one of the finest academic institutions in the country along with the rich tradition of Trojan football, Kiffin and his staff left no stone unturned in searching for quality high school players.
Meanwhile, the so-called "experts" just snickered and waited for Kiffin to fall flat on his face.
After all, they reasoned, why would a top flight recruit come to California to play for a program that had just been slapped with some of the harshest penalties ever imposed?
Boy, were they wrong.
When the dust had settled, Lane Kiffin and his staff had produced yet another top five recruiting class.
But for Trojan fans, it came as no surprise.
They had known all along that he was a magnificent recruiter.
And for some, it is the No. 1 reason they really, really like Lane Kiffin.
Conclusion
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Let the haters be damned.
Let them say all the disparaging things they can muster about Lane Kiffin as they wallow in the muck of their own bitterness toward the man.
But deep down, even they must understand there is a reason why Kiffin keeps getting some of the finest jobs in the country (not counting the Raider job, of course).
It's because Kiffin has talent and does many things very well.
Despite the whining from some quarters (mostly in the south, oh, say, around SEC country) that Kiffin will drive USC into the ground, Trojan fans are very pleased with him.
In addition to the dozen reasons featured here, there are probably a dozen more that people who know him well could offer in his support.
But Trojan fans need no additional convincing.
They are certain that he will eventually, sooner rather than later, deliver national championships.
And that is the main reason why we really do like Lane Kiffin.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
