Like I've said on here before, EVERY coach says that stuff. It's pure coach speak. If you didn't, then you couldn't get any recruits. How would it sound if you told a kid, "Yeah we'll probably be here. But, I got to tell ya, if USC or the NFL called tomorrow, then I'm probably gone."? People depend on you in every job that matters pretty much. Like I said, he got his chance to go to USC, and he took it... more power to him. Btw, anybody that had a brain knew that he would do what he did. I just never thought USC would come calling so soon.
So, basically, you're saying that lying to people is part of a coaches job? I don't see it that way. I think that most coaches say those things and get paid a lot to do so because they actually mean it and are thus able to draw the same commitment from their players.
Yes. People depend on you for every job in some capacity. However, not all jobs depend on you to be a leader. Like I said, some jobs come with greater responsibility.
Leaving after a few years to the NFL or some no-brainer step up is not the same as leaving a program in the lurch after one year.
Most of the players here liked Kiffin. I think they all really liked the coaching staff that he put together. Did Saban's players at Alabama not trust in him b/c of what he did after leaving Miami? No. Top recruits care a lot more about making millions in the NFL. Until that falls apart, Kiffin will be just fine.
Key word: liked. If it wasn't a big deal for Kiffin to leave UT the way he did, why did many UT players feel betrayed? I think it's pretty obvious that it's because he talked up their allegiance to something that he didn't have a shred of himself. No integrity.
Saban has a much longer career as a head coach to draw from. He won an NC at LSU before the Miami debacle. Kiffin has no such redeeming notes on his resume as a head coach. And I don't think he would have lasted long at Alabama had he not produced as quickly as he did.
You're right... Kiffin took it from about the #10 class at USC to the #1 class in less than 2 weeks. Good point.
Thank you. It was a good point. Do you think that recruiting takes place over a few weeks? USC went from #10 to #1 because of recruiting efforts by others taking place over months. Just because a lot of kids signed in the last two weeks like many other recruits do doesn't make Kiffin responsible for it. Kiffin didn't take the class anywhere.
Also, he would've had a top 3 class at UT if he hadn't left. The man can recruit. His coaching staff can recruit. Also, way to pick ONE recruit. How about the countless guys that love their methods and intensity? Love it or hate it, it works with 17 year old kids for the most part.
Kiffin has relied on the story of potential so far. Eventually, he's going to have to provide results or, even impressionable kids are going to catch on that all the shirt-tearing, hopping up and down and Pete Carroll imitations does not make you as good a coach as Pete Carroll.
The PAC-10 was better last year than what it has been recently. But, USC was really young and lost a lot of talent the year before. Kiffin is on a short leash just b/c he should do well there, and, if he doesn't for whatever reason, I think they'll go out and get someone else. I know that you're sensitive about calling out your precious conference, but it's not the SEC bud.
Not sensitive about anything. I'm just trying to point out the basic facts that fly in the face of your idea that it's easy for USC to win in the Pac-10.
I'm not saying it isn't cyclical to some degree. But, USC's low points should never be THAT low. If you can recruit and coach (which Kiffin and his coaching staff most definitely can), then they will do well. UT will not be the USC of the future until the SEC takes a downturn. Florida will continue to recruit like nuts, and Bama is Bama as long as Saban is there and probably for a while thereafter. No single SEC team can dominate year in and year out... not even Florida or Bama b/c of the talent parity. That's not true in the PAC-10. USC will get superior talent to the rest of the PAC-10 like they always do and will continue to win the league nearly every year.
Before Pete Carroll, USC was a middle of the conference Pac-10 team for many more years. It's not automatic that USC will dominate the Pac-10 if they don't have the right pieces in place. That is proven in the record books.
The same can be true for many other programs. Coaching changes can make a world of difference in either direction.
