The Sad Head Coach

I'm in no way prepared to write about the scandal or sanctions that have recently rocked Penn State.  I have mixed emotions and haven't done anywhere near enough research to have anything productive or thought provoking to say. 

What happened at Penn State is horrific on so many levels.  I almost ashamed of myself that I found a Penn State related story which absolutely made me snort-giggle. 

Almost ashamed.

The target of my LOL'ing?  This statement from Lane Kiffin comparing the challenges Bill O'Brien, the new head coach at Penn State is facing, to his own:

"I do think the cases are similar in that regard, and I do feel for their coaching staff. You're dealing with a head coach who wasn't there and has nothing to do with it and players who weren't there, either.  They're paying the price even though they had nothing to do with it, which is obviously similar to what we went through."

Yo Lane, I'm feelin real sad for you, Imma let you finish, but you and O'Brien ain't the same.

I read this quote in three different articles.  All three articles detailed both the sanctions handed down to USC in 2010 for violations from 2004 & 2005, and the ones given to Penn State this week for violations from...well, decades.  While Penn State is certainly facing more severe penalties, the punishments were admittedly harsh for both schools, and similar in nature including vacating of losses, ban on multiple years of post season play, probation and loss of scholarships over recurring years.  One difference of note is that any Penn State player is allowed to transfer to another school without penalty, whereas at USC*, only juniors and seniors were afforded that option.

Both Lane Kiffin and Bill O'Brien essentially took over their respective head coaching positions as the sanctions were handed down.  Kiffin made the aforementioned sympathetic statement representing himself as a man who was plunged helplessly into a situation like O'Brien's and is doing best to run a successful program despite that.

Uhhhh...What I didn't see noted in any of the articles? Lane Kiffin was a member of the coaching staff in place during the violations that earned sanctions for "lack of institutional control" at USC. 

Rewind:  Lane Kiffin was a member of the coaching staff in place during the violations that earned sanctions for "lack of institutional control" at USC.

So yes, Kiffin did come on as head coach at USC just as the sanctions were handed down, but....from 2001-2006 he was a USC Football staff member, then the wide receivers coach, then he was the passing game coordinator, then he was promoted to offensive coordinator.  Also during that time he was the recruiting coordinator. I'm gonna say, you know, he was pretty involved with the program.  During all these roles in the football program, Kiffin, along with EVERYONE ELSE at USC failed to notice Reggie Bush rolling around on dubs, hanging out with agents, wearing bling worthy of Lindsay Lohan and Dez Bryant and chillin' at his parents new house. 

Too bad he wasn't more observant back in the mid-aughts.  Had he been a little more vigilant he wouldn't have to feel sad for himself that now he has to clean up his own mess.  Yes, it is technically true that Kiffin is paying the price for sanctions handed down when he was not the head coach, but it's not particularly honest to make the innuendo that he is an innocent, dealing with circumstances he wasn't involved in and that were out of his control.

"You are fulfilling your destiny, Anakin Lane."

If I were Bill O'Brien, I'd go ahead and ignore Kiffin's offer to advise him on his scholarship reductions and postseason ban because he wishes "there had been someone for me to do that with. There really wasn’t.”

Yeah...it sucks when there's no one to show you how to lie in that big boy bed you made.

As for likening himself to O'Brien, who comes to Penn State fresh, with no prior relationship or history with the university?  An insult to Bill O'Brien. 

...and worthy of a snot-giggle.  LOL.





* Kiffin criticized the no-penalty release of these upperclassmen as "free agency."  I guess he's over it based on rehearsed sounding remarks regarding his problems with a lack of depth at tailback (it's widely believed he is specifically targeting Penn State junior Salis Redd) interlaced with the statement "Those players are open to go to any program, so I don’t really think it’s a big deal if a player were to come to USC because players have left our program.”   

Hey, I get it Lane.  Free Agency is much more appealing when you're on the receiving end.  At least this time you managed not to say the kid's name.**

** Remember that one time when Lane Kiffin was the Head Coach at Tennessee, and he tried to throw Florida Head Coach Urban Meyer under the bus for recruiting violations?  And then it turns out Meyer hadn't broken any recruiting rules?  And while falsely tattling on Florida and Meyer, Kiffin accidentally ended up breaking SEC recruiting rules by mentioning the name of the recruit, Nu'Keese Richardson?  And how he just had to put the  snap down hard on Meyer with the snarky comment "I love the fact that Urban had to cheat and still didn't get him" even though he ended up being the cheater and Urban Meyer hadn't cheated?  And the Florida Athletic Director demanded an apology?  Just be cause he could?  And Kiffin had to issue an apology statement that said "In my enthusiasm for our recruiting class, I made some statements that were meant solely to excite those at the breakfast. If I offended anyone at the University of Florida, including Mr. Foley and Urban Meyer, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention."?

I remember that. It was funny.