After one season as the head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers, Lane Kiffin has bolted for Los Angeles to coach the USC Trojans. Kiffin was mildly successful at Tennessee. He was able to recruit with the best of them, but wasn’t necessarily the best gameday coach. He has ties with USC and was an assistant there for about five years under Pete Carroll. I’m sure Vols fans are furious, but can you really blame a guy for taking a better job? College coaches do it all the time – if a better opportunity presents itself, you take it … and it doesn’t get much better than Southern Cal.

Kiffin will be going to a USC program that is loaded with talent – despite their poor 2009 season. Some speculate that the Trojans could be facing sanctions from the NCAA for possible violations with former player Reggie Bush and current star Joe McKnight. If that’s the case, Kiffin could be in for a long ride. The NCAA is harsh when it comes to rules violations and a black mark on the program for a few years will severely hurt his ability to recruit big time athletes.

What’s your take on Lane Kiffin’s quick tenure at Tennessee? Do you think the SEC was too hard for him with competition from Florida, Alabama and LSU? Maybe he felt like he couldn’t win a National Championship at Tennessee in the next five years? Or do you think he left for USC simply because it’s a better situation and a step up in his career?

Post a comment and let me know.