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Lane Kiffin Still Waiting To Get Back To Work
Lane Kiffin still waiting to get back to work at Ole Miss
Ole Miss hired Lane Kiffin as its next head football coach in early December. For the last month, though, he's been waiting to get back to work just like everyone else in college football.
For a new coach and a new staff at a new school, Kiffin described it as a disadvantage compared to other schools across the country.
"If this was happening and I was a returning coach at FAU," Kiffin said Monday during a segment on WNML-FM in Knoxville, "going into my fourth season, I really wouldn’t be that worried about what we were missing because I know everyone is on an equal playing field of missing it as well.
"Then all the new coaches, new staffs, they have no chance to work with their players, they’re not in the weight room, they’re not learning their systems, they’re not learning their own players. Also you need to go and get transfers and recruit for the upcoming season. I like to stay positive, but the facts are the facts. It’s definitely a disadvantage.”
During the radio interview Monday afternoon in Knoxville --- listen to the full audio of the SportsTalk segment here --- Kiffin discussed the job done by Jeremy Pruitt in two years at Tennessee, watching Ed Orgeron win a national championship at LSU and the football team he inherited at Ole Miss and why he took the job.
Here's everything Kiffin said during the interview:
ON WHAT ATTRACTED HIM TO THE OLE MISS JOB
“I thought there were some really good, young players on the roster. And to get back to the highest level, the SEC, against the best players, the best coaches in America, it’s intriguing. I had a great job at FAU and really enjoyed our three years there. Was very happy to stay there. It was just the few times a year you turn on the TV and see the big stage and see those coaches and players and you miss that.”
ON NOT HAVING AN OFFSEASON WHILE BEING A NEW COACH IN THE SEC, IF THAT PUTS HIM AT A DISADVANTAGE
“Yeah, definitely. I said if you look at the other way, if this was happening and I was a returning coach at FAU, going into my fourth season, I really wouldn’t be that worried about what we were missing because I know everyone is on an equal playing field of missing it as well. Then all the new coaches, new staffs, they have no chance to work with their players, they’re not in the weight room, they’re not learning their systems, they’re not learning their own players. Also you need to go and get transfers and recruit for the upcoming season. I like to stay positive, but the facts are the facts. It’s definitely a disadvantage.”
ON HIS IMPRESSIONS OF THE OLE MISS FOOTBALL PROGRAM DURING HIS TIME AT ALABAMA
“That was part of it. Seeing it at Alabama for three years. We didn’t lose any regular-season games at all except two of them and they were both to Ole Miss. So we went 1-2 and against Ole Miss and lost in both stadiums, both places. To see that, to remember that day down there, the fans and how the stadium was rocking, that was part of it. Knowing, hey, they’ve won. It’s not like this was 20 years ago. Just five years ago they were in the Sugar Bowl. It’s exciting.”
ON THE ROSTER INHERITED AT OLE MISS
“That was part of it. Obviously there is work to do, that’s why we’re there. They don’t make coaching changes because everything is perfect. There’s a lot of work to do on the roster, but there is some exciting talent. Not just one, but a couple exciting young quarterbacks. Unfortunately we’re not getting to work with them, though.”
ON OLE MISS DUAL-THREAT QUARTERBACK JOHN RHYS PLUMLEE, IF HE’S EVER COACHED A QUARTERBACK LIKE HIM
“I don’t know, Jalen Hurts freshman year, he had more passing stats obviously, but a lot of running. Not quite (as much as Plumlee), I believe. There is probably some similarities there as far as production. They’re different players. We’ll be excited to finally get on the field with them.”
ON OLE MISS QUARTERBACK MATT CORRAL
“Matt did some really good things at times (last season). Excited to put him in a new system. We don’t make a lot of opinions on what a guy did before, until we get them in our system. At a number of places we’ve been, in a couple SEC places we’ve been, if we went off what was said about Jonathan Crompton at Tennessee, we never would’ve played him. Because he was no good and one of the biggest busts at the quarterback position, recruiting wise. Then got to Alabama and Blake Sims was playing running back and they said the guy couldn’t play quarterback at all, he had been there five years. So we don’t make opinions on what happened before. Give people a clean slate.”
ON WHERE HE WANTS TO HAVE A PRESENCE IN RECRUITING
“Our No. 1 priority is Tennessee. No, I’m just kidding. There are a lot of great players in the five-hour driving radius (around Oxford). A lot of great players in Mississippi. Obviously we’re extremely close to a lot of state, Tennessee being one of those. So that’s a reason why the SEC is so strong and the schools have done so well over the years, because you’re so close to so many good players.”
ON CONNECTING WITH THE MANNING FAMILY SINCE TAKING THE OLE MISS JOB
“I have. Yes, with all of them either by phone or text, after getting the job. I look forward to having them around. Especially with Eli being retired now and having a place there in Oxford. Will probably see him around a lot.”
ON THE INTIAL BUY-IN AT OLE MISS, GETING TO KNOW PLAYERS HE INHERITED
“I think it’s always good right away. There’s new energy and everyone is excited. But they were doing a great job. We had finished our fourth quarter program, our conditioning program. And we were actually starting spring break and coming back for spring ball that next week, when the call came down.”
ON IF HE WOULD BE OK WITH PLAYING GAMES IN THE FALL WITH NO FANS IN THE STADIUM
“I think that’s a waste of time in my opinion, that conversation. I said on Finebaum yesterday, or the day before, whenever it was, that’s just not going to happen. If it’s not safe for people to be around people, you’re not going to play football. You can’t have 120 kids on one sideline around each other. Probably 250 people when it comes to all the staff and student managers. It’s not going to happen. You can’t have that many people around each other. They’re going to go separate places and see people throughout, at night or on weekends or whatever. I know people talk about that, but I think that’s a waste of time. I don’t know how that would ever happen.”
ON HAPPY HE WAS FOR ED ORGERON TO WIN A NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP AT LSU
“Extremely happy. When someone has gone through so much, so many different jobs and places, people say this about you, that about you. The Ole Miss thing didn’t end real well and that had always bothered him. He did a good job as the interim at USC. At LSU he finally got to have a shot. The things are about matches too. He’s a great coach and that’s a great match. There’s not a better job in America for him to match with, obviously with LSU. They’ve got a great thing going.”
ON HOW MUCH HE’S CHANGED SINCE HIS FIRST HEAD COACHING JOB
“Yeah, I think I have a lot. I think everybody does, especially on whatever, the fifth head (coaching) job. I’m sure Pete Carroll, he’s on his fourth or fifth, Nick Saban, he’s on his fifth I think. Not comparing myself to them, just saying in general over time, you should change and evolve. That’s part of growing and maturing and learning. I would say (I’ve changed) a lot.”
ON THE JOB DONE SO FAR BY JEREMY PRUITT AT TENNESSEE
“He’s done a great job. Really glad to see it pay off. He’s one of the hardest-working guys in the country. That takes a little time. I know everything wasn’t perfect at first. It was good to see the end of last season end so well, to play so well. I told him when I saw him, we played somebody or I had seen his team play against someone we were playing the last two years and boy what a difference in just a year. He had changed the roster and getting players better. So the future is very bright there.”
Last edited by Ellisvillereb (4/16/2020 10:20 pm)
