My Two Cents

As all of you sports fans are probably aware, Lane Kiffin in his most mature move yet left my beloved Vols to become head coach at USC. My response -- good riddance, have fun on NCAA probation with an increasingly mediocre program.

In my opinion it is not Kiffin who is the problem although he does make a great scapegoat. Tennessee's athletic director, Mike Hamilton, is the one who needs to be tarred, feathered and run out of town. Hamilton is the one who was behind Tennessee's former coach Phillip Fulmer departure from the program after 17 seasons (only two of which were losing seasons I might add). Hamilton was also the one behind Kiffin's hire against the better judgment of most. Al Davis may have a few screws lose but everyone is right sometimes, and folks Davis was right about Kiffin.

When you look at Fulmer's record there isn't really much to complain about -- 2 SEC championships, 1 National championship, consistently in the top 25. Sure he had two losing seasons but one of those seasons came just a year after ending up 12 nationally and playing in a very tough SEC Championship game against the eventual national title winner LSU. Fulmer's last losing season the team ended up 6-7. That's just one game below .500. That is also just two wins less that almighty Kiffin had this past year with a seasoned team.

Kiffin has a 7-6 record and has completely destroyed the Vol football program for the next season. Mike Hamilton I ask you, was it worth it? Was it really the losing season or did you just want a flashier head coach who would keep Tennessee's name in the media? I mean Kiffin certainly kept Tennessee's name in the press but for all the wrong reasons. I am inclined to think that it was the latter and unfortunately this gamble has come back to bite you in the ass.

If anything, Hamilton is the one who should receive the majority of Vol fan's angst. He is the one who should be fired. In order for the TN football program to rebuild, Hamilton needs to be let go immediately and someone dedicated to the University like Fulmer should be hired as athletic director and someone new should be hired as head coach.

So there it is, my two cents.