Polamalu's uncle leaves Titans to join USC coaching staff

[RuthlessBurgher]

As if Tennesseans don't hate Lane Kiffin enough for leaving the Vols after 1 season to take the USC job, now he takes Chris Johnson's RB coach only 1 week before camp opens.

[url]http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=5407023[/url]

Fisher 'disappointed' over Kiffin hire
ESPN.com news services
Updated: July 24, 2010, 3:55 PM ET

USC is set to hire Tennessee Titans running backs coach Kennedy Pola to serve as offensive coordinator under coach Lane Kiffin, causing Titans coach -- and USC alum -- Jeff Fisher to question the professionalism of the Trojans' head man.

"I am very disappointed in Lane Kiffin's approach to this," Fisher told The Tennessean on Saturday. "Typically speaking, when coaches are interested in hiring or discussing potential employment from coaches on respective staffs there is a courtesy call made from the head coach or athletic director indicating there is an interest in talking to the assistant.

"So I am very disappointed in the lack of professionalism on behalf of Lane, to call me and leave me a voicemail after Kennedy had informed me he had taken the job. It is just a lack of professionalism."

The Titans lose their running backs coach one week before the start of the team's training camp, and The Tennessean reported the team will promote from within to replace Pola.

This latest bit of USC family in-fighting comes on the heels of the school naming a new athletic director earlier this week after the football and basketball programs were put on probation for the improper relationships former players had with agents.

USC has gone so far as to scrub any memory of Reggie Bush from the school, planning to erase his image from a mural, remove his jersey that hangs in the school's Heritage Hall lobby and return its copy of Bush's 2005 Heisman Trophy.

After former coach Pete Carroll left the Trojans for a head coaching position with the NFL's Seattle Seahawks, Kiffin was tasked with continuing the school's football tradition. But NCAA sanctions will keep the program out of the postseason for the next two years.

By taking the USC job, Kiffin drew the ire of many Tennessee Volunteers fans by spurning the program to take over his alma mater after last season. In one year in Knoxville, he led the Vols to a 7-6 record, including a loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

Now the coach is taking heat from the state's NFL team.

Before being hired at Tennessee, Kiffin became the youngest NFL coach ever at the age of 31 when he was asked to lead the Oakland Raiders.

Kiffin lasted just one season with the Raiders, going 4-12 and left after a public dispute with longtime Raiders owner Al Davis that continued even after the two sides parted ways.

[SteelerNation1]

Good move for Kenny Pola. The last couple USC O coordinators have gone on to head coaching jobs I think. Hey, maybe Kenny Pola will replace Arians in 2011.



I'm only kinda kidding.

[hawaiiansteel]

Lane Kiffin and the word "professionalism" are not often used in the same sentence.

Ya gotta love Al Davis' face in the pic below:

[jj28west]

Isnt there also some type of connection between Tomlin & Kiffin? I could swear I saw these two caught on camera at some party together.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Isnt there also some type of connection between Tomlin & Kiffin? I could swear I saw these two caught on camera at some party together.

Tomlin was on the same defensive staff as Lane's father Monte in Tampa for several years. Lane brought his Dad to the University of Tennessee to be his defensive coordinator. Tomlin visited his old friend Monte and checked out some of the Vols' prospects while he was there. There were pictures of Tomlin and Lane Kiffin at a party during that visit. Tomlin drinking out of a red plastic Solo cup with coeds mingling around doesn't exactly look good (Ben-like decision making ).

[jj28west]

Isnt there also some type of connection between Tomlin & Kiffin? I could swear I saw these two caught on camera at some party together.

Tomlin was on the same defensive staff as Lane's father Monte in Tampa for several years. Lane brought his Dad to the University of Tennessee to be his defensive coordinator. Tomlin visited his old friend Monte and checked out some of the Vols' prospects while he was there. There were pictures of Tomlin and Lane Kiffin at a party during that visit. Tomlin drinking out of a red plastic Solo cup with coeds mingling around doesn't exactly look good (Ben-like decision making ).

Yes! The Tampa connection. Would this mean Lane will be the new Steelers DC once the USC fallout begins & DL retires?
Can not get over that picture in so many ways.... Layla, Tomlin. Hopefully he represented the Burgh well and used professional judgement

[papillon]

Lane Kiffin is as classless as they come, Cleveland deserves him, well, I wouldn't even wish him on the Browns.

Pappy

[NKySteeler]

Kiffin is nothing more than just a little punk... He tarnishes everything I like about SoCal as being the HC... He was a decent coordinator, but nothing more, and definitely not a quality HC... It makes me sick.

He's had run-ins repetitively with other coaches... Brooks (here in KY) said he wouldn't walk across the field to shake his hand even though he massively respected his father...

Kiffin blew-off the time honored procedure of making that "courtesy call" prior to trying to take an assisant coach. Then, he leaves a message AFTER the fact?.... Freakin' waste of oxygen...

While he may be massing a decent staff underneath him, it's only a matter of time before Haden ruins his day... And I'm already counting the days.

[RuthlessBurgher]

Yes! The Tampa connection. Would this mean Lane will be the new Steelers DC once the USC fallout begins & DL retires?

Actually, Lane's coordinator experience is offensive and Monte's coordinator experience is defensive, so you should talk about Monte possibly taking over for LeBeau instead of Lane (of course, Monte is only 2 years younger than LeBeau, even though he looks about 20 years older).

[SanAntonioSteelerFan]

Yes! The Tampa connection. Would this mean Lane will be the new Steelers DC once the USC fallout begins & DL retires?

Actually, Lane's coordinator experience is offensive and Monte's coordinator experience is defensive, so you should talk about Monte possibly taking over for LeBeau instead of Lane (of course, Monte is only 2 years younger than LeBeau, even though he looks about 20 years older).

Wow, nice haircut.