Three years after getting kicked out of the Nick Saban rehab center for coaches a week before graduation, could Lane Kiffin find his way back into the SEC, courtesy of Arkansas?
That was the hottest of rumors Sunday, right behind the one about Iowa State coach Matt Campbell being tempted with a lot of money and he still said no thanks.
To be fair a couple of trusted sources told us over a week ago that Campbell had declined interest and apparently reinforced that over the weekend.
Sunday, there were twitter reports chasing a plane from Springdale Airport to Boca Raton, Florida, and back. Unless it was a a quick jaunt for a Florida late lunch, the chances for coincidence are small.
Kiffin, 44, would be an interesting choice by athletics director Hunter Yurachek to replace Chad Morris as the Razorbacks’ football coach. Morris was fired November 10.
It will mark a return to Fayetteville for Kiffin, who was a toddler when his father, legendary defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, was the defensive coordinator for Lou Holtz during a time the Hogs went 30-5-1.
Kiffin’s first head coaching job was with the Oakland Raiders at age 31. He was fired after 20 games, publicly called a liar by Al Davis. By then an aging Davis bore a remarkable resemblance to The Emperor in Star Wars … and was acting a lot like him.
Don’t consider that anything to be worried about. Davis called everybody that disagreed with him the last 50 years before his death in 2011 a liar. It’s a list that includes nearly every NFL commissioner, several Hall of Fame coaches and general managers, including Tex Schramm of the Dallas Cowboys.
It didn’t work out for Kiffin, who made his name as Pete Carroll’s offensive coordinator during USC’s last glory days from 2001-04.
Kiffin was hired to replace Phillip Fulmer at Tennessee in 2009 and came within a blocked field goal at the end of beating Alabama during Nick Saban’s first national championship season.
He guided the Vols to a 7-5 record (4-4 in the SEC) before falling to No. 12 Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
But he left after a year to return to USC, compiling a 28-15 record. The Trojans never finished lower than third in the Pac 12 South and won a division title in his second season, going 10-2.
Then he was fired with the team at 3-2 on the year by athletics director Pat Haden after the team returned from a road trip loss at Arizona State. He was called off the team bus on the runway and fired.
Saban brought him to Tuscaloosa where he served as offensive coordinator for three seasons, winning a national championship and two playoff appearances before he accepted the job at Florida Atlantic.
He was encouraged to leave for Boca Raton a week before the national championship game against Clemson by Saban after the Crimson Tide’s offense struggled in the semifinal win over Washington.
Obviously there is no word on Kiffin other than rumors, but there are multiple reports and sources are saying it’s their impression that he met with Arkansas officials Sunday.
The Owls won the Conference USA East title with a 9-3 overall record this season (7-1 in the conference). They will be hosting Alabama-Birmingham on Saturday in the CUSA title game.
Kiffin took FAU to an 11-3 record his first season, winning East division and a bowl game.
