Lane Kiffin Fired...Finally

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 12:31 PM CDT Comment 27 comments

The Raiders pulled the plug on the season-long Lane Kiffin soap opera today, according to Adam Schefter. A press conference is scheduled for 1PM EST, reportedly to announce the firing. The current favorite to inherit the job appears to be Tom Cable, the offensive line coach...which is interesting considering that defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was the one taking the public hits for Crazy Al undermining his head coach. However, Cable has gotten a fairly impressive run-blocking performance this season out of a very underwhelming bunch of talent, so the hiring of Cable could be better than some might expect. Or it could blow up in their faces like Joe Bugel, the last offensive line coach that Al Davis hired to run his team. Who really knows?

Apparently Al Davis will use "insubordination" as a reason for the firing as well, so that he can get out of paying the $3 million remaining on Kiffin's contract (which, if we use the Shanahan firing as a template, means Kiffin shouldn't ever count on seeing that money).

As for Kiffin's future, I'll say this now...win or no win last week, the Chiefs should seriously be considering hiring this man in some capacity this season (QB coach, assistant offensive coordinator...whatever). He's shown some promise as a good offensive mind and head coach, he's actually kept JaMarcus Russell from being too turnover prone this season (1 INT) and if Davis screws him out of that $3 million that's a guy who will be highly motivated to destroy the Raiders for the rest of his career. And if we decide after the season that Herm's not the one to lead this team, he's likely to be a guy who gets his name bandied about for a lot of teams this offseason, so I think it would be preferable to get him into our fold sooner rather than later.

Update: ESPN broke the story that Davis gave Kiffin the news via telephone, and informed him he will not be paying him the remainder of his contract. Interestingly, according to ESPN's story, Al Davis attempted earlier this season to revise a little history by trying to pin the blame for the Javon Walker signing and the DeAngelo Hall trade on Kiffin (reportedly Kiffin opposed both moves). Class act, that Al Davis...he can't even own up to his own crappy moves just months after he makes them.

This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of Arrowhead Pride's writers or editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of Arrowhead Pride writers or editors.

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I'm all for chucking Dick Curl and grabbing Kiffin

but seriously, they are going to promote their offensive line coach to head coach?

Didn’t they see what happened when we promoted our offensive line coach? and not even to head coach?

(Really, I have no idea if Cable has any other qualifying experience…the thought of another o-line coach getting promoted just struck me as funny)

by PVChiefsfan on Sep 30, 2008 12:38 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It's Happened Before

Joe Bugel. He was the head coach there for awhile. But then he’d also had head coach experience in Arizona prior to that, so he wasn’t coming in cold (although he was a pretty terrible HC for the Cardinals).

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 12:42 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

And I Doubt They'll Ditch Curl

Not in-season…nor do I think they’d bring Kiffin in at the expense of anyone else’s job. But they should try to find a spot for Kiffin if they can.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 12:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Didnt Kiffen do a good job with the college bowl game this past year?

I think the players all really liked and respected him.

by Lanier63 on Sep 30, 2008 12:43 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He's Done An Admirable Job Everywhere So Far

There’s very little not to like about Kiffin apart from his team’s record (which was also largely attributable to a defense he had no control over). The parts of the team he did control with the Raiders were productive, with some pretty questionable talent.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 12:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Great news for the rest of the NFL

So goes another coach that will make the Raiders his favorite team to destroy, us in Bronco land have been thinking that Denver would try to gran Kifin and have him work with Shannan to double the violence we inflict on the hated Raiders. I think any team would be wise to snatch up Kifin, very bright mind, and will be a very good coach in a few years.

"How do the berries taste Ralph?" Bart Simpson
"They taste like burning." Ralph Wigam
Broncoman

by Broncoman on Sep 30, 2008 12:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

It’s tough to find a young head coach with potential in the NFL, and I definitely think Kiffin is one. I’m sure there will be others here who disagree with me, but I’d love to have the guy as our HC next year (win or no win last week, I’m still convinced that Herm Edwards will never coach a team capable of seriously competing for a Super Bowl).

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 1:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

besides....Kiffin won't get paid by Al Davis....Just like Shanahan

fader nation is a conquered nation

"Jerry Jones is Al Davis with a smile!"

The creator of the following names: conquered fader nation, Phyllis and his merry men

by mdierk on Sep 30, 2008 2:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not a chance he'll come here

basically because I think he’ll be in demand in far too many places. I know there will be a ton of colleges after this guy based on his USC success. I just think if he gets hired in the NFL it’ll be in an OC capacity and the Chiefs aren’t about to pull the plug on Chan. That said – if we can get him at all I am so for it. I think he’s done a great job in Oakland with what he’s had to deal with.

by dkugler838 on Sep 30, 2008 1:04 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Definitely

He took the high road as much as possible and he didn’t melt down and lose the locker room like Linehan did in St. Louis.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 1:06 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I could see him taking over at Syracuse

and doing pretty well

by sm7600 on Sep 30, 2008 1:50 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Interesting poll data on ESPN concerning the Raiders

http://sports.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/poll/index?pCat=46&sCat=177

by Lanier63 on Sep 30, 2008 2:13 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Man

people really hate Al Davis, don’t they?

by PVChiefsfan on Sep 30, 2008 6:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Raiders Fans More Than Most

They have to live with the senile old bastard. That press conference he gave was just flat-out delusional and sad. Hopefully the NFL will rule against him on the issue of Kiffin’s contract.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Sep 30, 2008 10:33 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Actually

He seemed pretty with it to me.

I watched his HOF intro for John Madden last night and he looked much worse then. His speech was just off and didn’t seem to have it together.

Comparatively, he seemed lucid yesterday.

by Joel Thorman on Oct 1, 2008 8:03 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

He Sounded Somewhat Lucid

But when you listened to what he was saying it was crazy talk. How often in the NFL do you really hear owners come out and rip down a coach like that…especially with comments about their personal integrity? Almost never, because doing stuff like that will make hiring even a young coach down the road tougher. And I seriously doubt that Kiffin was that much of a weasel, otherwise the players in the locker room would have been throwing him under the bus like they did with Bill Callahan. Most of the Raiders players who spoken on the issue were supportive of Kiffin.

And the letter on the overhead was the real kicker. Davis is going to take his case before the NFL as to whether Kiffin deserves to be paid or not…why do you think he felt a need to start throwing out evidence before the press instead of the NFL? My own opinion is that he did so because his evidence of insubordination by Kiffin for the NFL is weak (and possibly fictitious) so he’s trying to plead his case to the press to drum up sympathy.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Oct 1, 2008 8:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah

The players wanted Kiffin there no doubt. Nmandi Asomugha said so on NFLN yesterday.

by Joel Thorman on Oct 1, 2008 8:43 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

A Defensive Player

Which is interesting, because that’s part of the team over which Kiffin was stripped of control so Rob Ryan (an Al Davis favorite) could run it.

Supporting the lesser of two evils is still supporting something evil.

by UCrawford on Oct 1, 2008 9:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I could see him taking over for the Rams

after the season… seriously.

have you seen my baseball?

by IISaiNtII on Sep 30, 2008 2:51 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I see him either dropping down to the collegiate level next year

or to an assistant role (position coach) with an NFL team before he gets another chance at HC.

by Lanier63 on Sep 30, 2008 3:45 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Agreed

I see him heading back to college.

by Joel Thorman on Sep 30, 2008 4:47 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I gotta love watching the Raiders squirm in their own poop...

I would hate to be a raider fan under Al Davis, absolutely the worst person to be calling the shots…

by aPacificChief on Sep 30, 2008 4:05 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

It is intriguing

to think of him coming to the Chiefs. He would be a great fit with all the young players and I also think that we could use a few more coaches right now. Don’t we have the fewest number of coaches on any staff in the league?He could help us out to finish the year and then who knows.

by TheQ on Sep 30, 2008 6:56 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs