The largest information of the weekend in faculty soccer was not any of the particular video games being performed, however relatively, the cleaning soap opera surrounding Lane Kiffin. After a number of weeks of drama culminating in one of many wildest weekends in latest reminiscence, it was lastly introduced on Sunday that Kiffin might be leaving Ole Miss earlier than the staff’s School Soccer Playoff run to grow to be the subsequent head coach at convention rival LSU.
In fact, USC followers are quire aware of Kiffin. After serving as an assistant on Pete Carroll’s employees with the Trojans from 2001-2006, Kiffin was USC’s head coach from 2010-2013, earlier than his notorious firing on the airport tarmac.
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Kiffin’s USC tenure
When Kiffin was employed as the pinnacle coach at USC in January 2010, he was simply 34 years previous. His tenure as the pinnacle coach of the Trojans did function some memorable victories. Most notably, his 2011 staff upset No. 4 Oregon on the highway and defeated crosstown rival UCLA 50-0 on the Coliseum.
Nonetheless, Kiffin’s time at USC featured way more lows than highs. Maybe the breaking level was a 2012 season that noticed the Trojans begin the yr because the preseason No. 1 staff within the nation, solely to complete 7-6 with an unsightly Solar Bowl loss to Georgia Tech.
Kiffin would later admit that he was not prepared or mature sufficient on the time to be the pinnacle coach at USC, and that the entire hype surrounding him finally obtained into his head.
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The tarmac incident
After two extra embarrassing losses early within the 2013 season, Kiffin was fired simply 5 video games in. The way through which it occurred precipitated fairly a stir, although—after a blowout defeat at Arizona State, he was fired by athletic director Pat Haden on the tarmac at LAX at 3:00 AM. Clearly, the incident drew nationwide headlines, and precipitated a substantial amount of embarrassment to all events who had been concerned.
In fact, a lot of the embarrassment from the best way that Kiffin was fired was directed at USC athletic director Pat Haden and president Max Nikias, who, to place it bluntly, ran a clown present of an athletic division. Nonetheless, it takes a really particular coach to foster an setting the place a firing like that one may even be potential, and Kiffin was the proper candidate.
Studying from his errors
After getting fired by USC, Kiffin took a step again from the nationwide highlight for a bit. He spent three years because the offensive coordinator for Nick Saban at Alabama, successful three consecutive SEC titles and a nationwide championship. He was then employed as the pinnacle coach at Florida Atlantic, the place he led the Owls to 2 convention titles in three seasons.
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It felt as if Kiffin was maturing, and that he was lastly attending to learn to be a head coach with out the highlight that comes together with being at a significant program—a chance that the majority coaches are afforded, however Kiffin by no means was earlier than taking the USC job. When an influence convention college lastly known as, it appeared like Kiffin could be able to method that chance with a stage of maturity that he didn’t have when he was with the Trojans.
A modified man . . . or so we thought
That chance got here forward of the 2020 season with Ole Miss. Over the subsequent six years, Kiffin would lead the Rebels to their most profitable stretch at school historical past. They received double-digit video games 4 occasions, performed in two New 12 months’s Six Bowls, and are primarily a lock to make this yr’s School Soccer Playoff.
Certain, Kiffin may nonetheless have his Twitter antics, and the occasional cringeworthy quote. However the basic consensus was that Kiffin actually had matured from his USC days, and he had lastly discovered tips on how to be a head coach in main faculty soccer with out making a circus round himself.
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Or no less than, so we thought.
Nonetheless the identical Lane
With the success that Kiffin was having at Ole Miss, it felt as if nearly all of USC followers had been actually comfortable for him. There was a basic sense of understanding that the Trojans had employed him on the improper time, and other people had been usually comfortable to look at him mature and succeed.
Effectively, no less than we thoughtI that Kiffin was maturing. It seems the Kiffin shouldn’t be, actually, a modified man, however relatively the identical immature coach that we noticed at USC 15 years in the past.
Even at age 50, he continues to make the highlight about himself, on the detriment of his staff. We noticed it quite a few occasions at USC. And now, we noticed it once more, as Kiffin managed to turned essentially the most profitable season within the historical past of Ole Miss soccer right into a drama about himself and spoil the entire goodwill that he constructed up there over six years in only a few weeks.
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No turning again now
Kiffin’s antics throughout the earlier a part of his teaching profession may simply be chalked as much as the truth that he was younger, immature, and never prepared for the highlight. However at age 50, he not has that excuse. At this level, that is simply who Kiffin is, and who he’ll finally be remembered as.
As quite a few writers have stated over time, “You may solely be younger as soon as, however you might be immature perpetually.” Effectively, it seems as if Lane Kiffin took that recommendation to coronary heart.
This text initially appeared on Trojans Wire: Lane Kiffin nonetheless has not matured since getting fired by USC soccer
