Smile, everybody; Kiffin to be center of attention
Some time Tuesday afternoon, Lane Kiffin will walk into a hotel conference room in Destin, Fla., and for the first time sit face-to-face with coaches he has needled, lobbed verbal volleys toward, and in one case, accused of cheating.
Never mind what the forecast says, there promises to be a chill in the air at the Sandestin Hilton at the SEC’s annual spring meetings.
Kiffin, the 34-year-old Tennessee coach who replaced Phil Fulmer after the Vols’ second five-win season in four years, needed just six months to develop rivalries that are usually years in the making.
Before coaching a game, Kiffin managed to rile fans at Florida (accusing Urban Meyer of violating NCAA rules), South Carolina (telling Calhoun County receiver Alshon Jeffery he would end up “pumping gas” if he signed with the Gamecocks), Alabama (boasting that he “stole” Nick Saban’s best recruiter in Lance Thompson) and others.
thestate.com
5/24/09
Magnolia Tribune
