Yesterday it was announced that Lane Kiffin after just one season at Tennessee is leaving and headed back to USC to become the head coach of the Trojans. The reaction to his leaving has caused ridicule everywhere. "How can you leave after one year?" "It's a joke that these coaches don't have to live up to their contract". These are some of the things that are being said on the airwaves this morning. My question is why? Think of it this way. You leave a position at your current employer because you know there's a major barrier for getting the job you truly want at your company. So you find another company that's willing to give you the job you want but not necessarily at the place you want to be. If in a years time your old employer offers you the job you truly wanted in the first place because that individual that was blocking you decided to move on, what is the chance that you aren't going to jump at the opportunity?
This is essentially what Lane Kiffin did. He got the Tennessee job and I'm sure it was great and I'm sure he would have been happy there for a long time but the Tennessee job is not the USC job. The Tennessee job will not land you the #1 quarterback in the country in over 50% of the decade. The Tennessee job does not have the glitz and glam of L.A. The Tennessee job is not where Lane Kiffin truly wanted to be.
If you were Lane Kiffin you would have done the exact same thing. You know it, I know it so please enough with the ridicule.
Comments
These guys make a commitement and are paid big bucks for doing it and should stick by that.