Lane Kiffin could be on the hot seat if the Trojans struggle again this season. (Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
All that could go wrong for USC’s football team has gone wrong after it was the preseason No. 1 team in the nation last year. The one constant that makes people shake their heads over the Trojans’ tribulations is head coach Lane Kiffin.
The downfall of a 7-6 regular season is affecting the offseason, with USC losing committed recruits to rival schools UCLA and Notre Dame on National Signing Day. Before that came the resignation of defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, father of USC coach Lane Kiffin. After Signing Day, Lane Kiffin fired popular offensive coordinator/running backs coach Kennedy Polamalu.
Those who have played for Polamalu, a former USC fullback and uncle of former Trojan safety Troy Polamalu, swear by him as a coach and person. Firing Polamalu after Signing Day indicates Kiffin did not want to lose any recruits that committed to him. How convenient … and underhanded.
This leads me to describe Lane Kiffin’s five most questionable personality traits:
1. Selfish. Lane Kiffin wants autonomy over calling plays; that’s obvious with the firing of Polamalu. Kiffin also made statements in December that he planned to retain play-calling duties to try to get USC back on track. He likely will hire or promote a coach to offensive coordinator who will abide by Kiffin’s decisions. Some reports have suggested former Cal coach Jeff Tedford as a possibility. That would not work because Kiffin would have to heed to Tedford’s suggestions. Kiffin is living in yesteryear when he called plays as the USC offensive coordinator when the Trojans averaged 49 points per game with Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. That was in 2005 and Kiffin has felt entitled since with stops with the Oakland Raiders and Tennessee Volunteers.
2. Disloyal. Kiffin fired Polamalu after hiring him less than three years ago amid controversy. Jeff Fisher, another former USC player, publicly criticized Kiffin for hiring Polamalu away from his Tennessee Titans staff without consulting him or the Titans organization first in July 2010. Kiffin claims he left a message. That’s not the way to treat an esteemed former Trojan. Kiffin’s firing of Polamalu makes USC followers question his loyalty more about the program. Nothing positive can come from it.
3. Image over substance. Kiffin’s moves are an attempt to uphold his image as a head coach who will do what it takes to bring the Trojans back to prominence. His image, however, is taking a hit with what has transpired over the season and now into February. Is he more about caring about USC’s fortunes from the scout-team unit to his coordinators, or is he more about himself? It’s a question worth asking. The irony is while Kiffin wants to show he is in charge, his coaches, players, former players and now recruits, are not enamored with him that way. As the head coach of a traditional power, Kiffin does not have the aura of a Nick Saban or Urban Meyer.
4. Insecure. One of the snapshots of USC’s season was Kiffin bolting from a press conference after a reporter inquired about a player’s injury. Rather than tell the reporter that he does not have an answer, and field other inquiries by the media, Kiffin did something he hopes his players never do: Quit. The figurehead of USC football — the same position held by men such as John McKay and John Robinson — just walked away. What kind of message does that send to the players? This happened on Sept. 19, four days after USC lost its first game at Stanford. That’s not an appropriate way to handle the pressure.
5. Monotone uninspiring. Kiffin has his light moments with the media from time to time, but more often than not, his mannerisms suggest he relies on others to get his players motivated. He is frank and shows no feelings when he expresses himself to the media about his team. Not every coach should be the rah-rah type, but they should be viewed as a motivator. After USC’s losses, reporters often described Kiffin as despondent, monotone or robot-like. The same was true after some of the Trojans’ victories — a far cry from his predecessor Pete Carroll.
