Jacie
11/29/2008, 09:41 AM
Watching ESPN SportsCenter on new Tennessee coach Lane (son of Monte) Kiffin.
His resume includes a stint at USC before taking the job with the Oakland Raiders. It shouldn't have been a surprise that a 33-year old guy with no head coaching experience would not succeed at the pro level but the question was put to Mark May if he could turn things around for the Vols.
May pointed out that Kiffin has been on the West Coast too long to expect to come into the South and successfully recruit against the likes of Saban, Myles, Meyer and Spurrier, all of whom have won a National Championship.
Compare that to the Big XII. Only two coaches have brought home crystal footballs and that has to be a boon to recruiting for Oklahoma and Texas since more than the others can sell tradition along with everything else. While this is bad news for the other coaches, in the North Division the tradition is mainly in the last century which has leveled the playing field for everyone against Nebraska.
So when the argument over which conference is better comes up, that the SEC has four champion-winning coaches to the Big XII's two is a point on that side.
His resume includes a stint at USC before taking the job with the Oakland Raiders. It shouldn't have been a surprise that a 33-year old guy with no head coaching experience would not succeed at the pro level but the question was put to Mark May if he could turn things around for the Vols.
May pointed out that Kiffin has been on the West Coast too long to expect to come into the South and successfully recruit against the likes of Saban, Myles, Meyer and Spurrier, all of whom have won a National Championship.
Compare that to the Big XII. Only two coaches have brought home crystal footballs and that has to be a boon to recruiting for Oklahoma and Texas since more than the others can sell tradition along with everything else. While this is bad news for the other coaches, in the North Division the tradition is mainly in the last century which has leveled the playing field for everyone against Nebraska.
So when the argument over which conference is better comes up, that the SEC has four champion-winning coaches to the Big XII's two is a point on that side.