Post by scorpion42 on Dec 15, 2008 14:16:51 GMT -7
Report: Bucs’ Kiffin leaving for Tennessee
Dec 14, 11:36 pm EST
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (TICKER)—After much speculation, Monte Kiffin will join his son at the University of Tennessee.
According to a published report in the St. Petersburg Times on Sunday, Kiffin will leave his position as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator to join his recently hired son, Lane Kiffin, on the Volunteers’ staff.
“I made the decision last weekend and I went back and forth,” Kiffin told the newspaper. “It was a very, very hard decision because of players, our fans. When you’ve been in a place since 1996, you don’t just jump ship.
“I’ve had other opportunities. There was one that came up last year that was a great opportunity and people don’t even know for sure about the whole thing. But I stayed here, decided to sign back up for two years. But the club was very good about giving me the option to go with my son.”
Lane Kiffin recently took the job as head coach at Tennessee, and it reportedly has been a dream of the two to work together.
“It boiled down to one thing; it was your son, and that’s what it is,” Kiffin said. “I love these players. I addressed it Wednesday. I told (general manager) Bruce (Allen). (Buccaneers coach) Jon (Gruden) was the first person I told. The head coach, he should know first. We had a team meeting … and the whole team was there.”
In 1980, Monte Kiffin got his one and only head coaching job at North Carolina State.
He then began a series of short stints in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings (twice), New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints. In 1996, he became the defensive coordinator for Tampa Bay.
After then-Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy was dismissed by the front office following the 2001 season, Kiffin was persuaded by Gruden to remain in Tampa.
He then helped the Buccaneers to the organization’s first championship in Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26, 2003.
“I told them kind of what I’m telling you,” Monte Kiffin said in the report. “I said, “Guys, this was a tough decision. I went back and forth. I said I just want you to know now. I didn’t think it was right to keep carrying it out.”
The 68-year-old Monte Kiffin had downplayed rumors of his departure from Tampa Bay in the wake of his son’s hiring at Tennessee on November 28.
As for the Buccaneers, the search for a successor to Monte Kiffin is expected to start in house with secondary coach Raheem Morris, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel.
Dec 14, 11:36 pm EST
ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA (TICKER)—After much speculation, Monte Kiffin will join his son at the University of Tennessee.
According to a published report in the St. Petersburg Times on Sunday, Kiffin will leave his position as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defensive coordinator to join his recently hired son, Lane Kiffin, on the Volunteers’ staff.
“I made the decision last weekend and I went back and forth,” Kiffin told the newspaper. “It was a very, very hard decision because of players, our fans. When you’ve been in a place since 1996, you don’t just jump ship.
“I’ve had other opportunities. There was one that came up last year that was a great opportunity and people don’t even know for sure about the whole thing. But I stayed here, decided to sign back up for two years. But the club was very good about giving me the option to go with my son.”
Lane Kiffin recently took the job as head coach at Tennessee, and it reportedly has been a dream of the two to work together.
“It boiled down to one thing; it was your son, and that’s what it is,” Kiffin said. “I love these players. I addressed it Wednesday. I told (general manager) Bruce (Allen). (Buccaneers coach) Jon (Gruden) was the first person I told. The head coach, he should know first. We had a team meeting … and the whole team was there.”
In 1980, Monte Kiffin got his one and only head coaching job at North Carolina State.
He then began a series of short stints in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, Buffalo Bills, Minnesota Vikings (twice), New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints. In 1996, he became the defensive coordinator for Tampa Bay.
After then-Buccaneers coach Tony Dungy was dismissed by the front office following the 2001 season, Kiffin was persuaded by Gruden to remain in Tampa.
He then helped the Buccaneers to the organization’s first championship in Super Bowl XXXVII on January 26, 2003.
“I told them kind of what I’m telling you,” Monte Kiffin said in the report. “I said, “Guys, this was a tough decision. I went back and forth. I said I just want you to know now. I didn’t think it was right to keep carrying it out.”
The 68-year-old Monte Kiffin had downplayed rumors of his departure from Tampa Bay in the wake of his son’s hiring at Tennessee on November 28.
As for the Buccaneers, the search for a successor to Monte Kiffin is expected to start in house with secondary coach Raheem Morris, according to a report in the Orlando Sentinel.