Raiders Hire Young Kiffin as Head Coach

[NYCARDS]

31 years old!! Whats next? Scouring undefeated High School assitants?

By GREG BEACHAM
The Oakland Raiders hired Lane Kiffin as their coach Monday night, making the 31-year-old Southern California offensive coordinator the NFL's youngest head coach.

Kiffin, the son of Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, earned the job with a strong interview Monday after the Raiders failed to reach a deal last week with 32-year-old Steve Sarkisian, Kiffin's fellow assistant to Pete Carroll at USC.

Raiders owner Al Davis quickly moved to land another up-and-coming offensive mind with sterling college credentials, but just one season of NFL experience - as a defensive quality control coach with Jacksonville in 2000.

Raiders senior personnel executive Michael Lombardi confirmed the hiring in an e-mail to The Associated Press. The agreement was first reported by the Contra Costa Times and ESPN.

Kiffin is the Raiders' 16th head coach - and the youngest in franchise history.


The former Fresno State quarterback is younger than at least nine players who finished the season with Oakland during its NFL-worst 2-14 campaign, including defensive tackle Warren Sapp, fullback Zack Crockett and receiver Alvis Whitted.

Coach Art Shell was fired after the season, and Davis apparently was determined to hire another young offensive-minded coach in the mold of Jon Gruden, his last successful hire. Davis has fired three coaches in the last four years: Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Shell, whose return to the Raiders lasted just one year.

Kiffin had been at USC for six years. While former Raiders assistant Sarkisian coached from the sideline last season, Kiffin called the plays for the Rose Bowl champion Trojans.

Sarkisian had two strong interviews with the Raiders last week, but decided to stay at USC on Friday night. Both claimed Sarkisian never was offered the job, though numerous media reports said Sarkisian turned the club down.

Davis first interviewed Kiffin on Thursday - apparently to explore the possibility of hiring Kiffin as the club's offensive coordinator. Kiffin, who also coached receivers for USC, returned to the Bay Area on Sunday for a second interview, this time to discuss becoming the Raiders' head coach.

Kiffin also was a finalist for the top job at the University of Minnesota earlier in the offseason.

Davis has ample reason to trust in young minds: Gruden, Mike Shanahan and John Madden all succeeded as Raiders head coaches in their 30s - as did Davis.

Former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, San Diego Chargers receivers coach James Lofton and Raiders defensive coordinator Rob Ryan also interviewed for the job.

The Raiders have serious personnel problems with one of the NFL's worst offenses, but their defense was among the league's best. Oakland also has the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

 

[Pariah]

Davis: "Hey kid, wanna job?"
Kiffin: "Um, doing what, exactly?"
Davis: "Coaching, kid, coaching! all you gotta do is everything I say."
Kiffin: "I dunno. You're kind of a creepy old man."
Davis: "Did I mention I'll pay you millions of dollars to do everything I say and it'll springboard you to even better jobs if you even squeek out four wins and do everything I say."
Kiffin: "Um, okay, I guess."
Davis: "Great. We have a deal."


Davis: "Did I mention you need to do everything I say?"

 

[D-Dogg]

Wow. Just wow. What a soap opera.

 

[JerkFace]

Raiders owner Al Davis quickly moved to land another up-and-coming offensive mind with sterling college credentials, but just one season of NFL experience - as a defensive quality control coach with Jacksonville in 2000.

wow...he was the defensive quality control coach with Jacksonville at the age of 25!!!!

 

[jw7]

Gruden was only 34 when the Raiders hired him to be HC, and he did the best job there of anyone in the last decade. Turned his success into an $8M buyout + 2 1st rounders. Very rare for coaches to be traded.

Theo Epstein was only 28 when the Red Sox hired him to be freakin' GM and the team won the World Series not much later.

So the answer is clear. We need to sign Arthur as DC, now.

 

[HeavyB3]

Davis: "Hey kid, wanna job?"
Kiffin: "Um, doing what, exactly?"
Davis: "Coaching, kid, coaching! all you gotta do is everything I say."
Kiffin: "I dunno. You're kind of a creepy old man."
Davis: "Did I mention I'll pay you millions of dollars to do everything I say and it'll springboard you to even better jobs if you even squeek out four wins and do everything I say."
Kiffin: "Um, okay, I guess."
Davis: "Great. We have a deal."


Davis: "Did I mention you need to do everything I say?"

I would have taken the job......

 

[Chris_Sanders]

I applaud the Raiders for being daring enough to not recycle the same old retreads over and over.

 

[Scott MS]

I applaud the Raiders for being daring enough to not recycle the same old retreads over and over.

True, but a retread is now considered by many to be a guy who's coached once (Mike Sherman, Jim Mora Jr.). Bill Parcells, Tony Dungy, Bill Belichick, Marty Shottenheimer, Dick Vermeil, etc. were all re-treads.

 

[arthurracoon]

So the answer is clear. We need to sign Arthur as DC, now.

woo hoo!

im up for that

id even invite ASFN members to be involved in gameplanning

 

[D-Dogg]

Mike Sherman. .

Don't confuse retread for "terrible coach."

 

[Ryanwb]

I was hoping the Raiders would hire Jim Mora jr and then trade for Randy Moss

 

[vince56]

I should've gotten a degree in phys ed. I'm 28, the raiders could've hired me

 

[TruColor]

I should've gotten a degree in phys ed. I'm 28, the raiders could've hired me

Heck, my bachelor's degree in jazz studies practically qualifies me as a Raiders employee...

 

[NYCARDS]

Gruden was only 34 when the Raiders hired him to be HC, and he did the best job there of anyone in the last decade. Turned his success into an $8M buyout + 2 1st rounders. Very rare for coaches to be traded.

Theo Epstein was only 28 when the Red Sox hired him to be freakin' GM and the team won the World Series not much later.

So the answer is clear. We need to sign Arthur as DC, now.

At least Gruden had experience in the NFL with the Eagles prior to becoming Raider's HC.

Epstein did a great job with the Sox but I think it is more difficult to lead players on the field than make personnel decisions.

What I got a kick out of was that the 32 yr old first choice from USC couldnt come to terms with Davis on a contract.

 

[NYCARDS]

although I just read that Madden was only 32 when he was hired as the Raider HC in 1969

 

[slanidrac16]

Thats what it was going to take to find someone to coach the Raiders. Anybody with any kind of experince wouldn't even think of taking a job there.

Not even Dennis Green!

 

[Ryanwb]

although I just read that Madden was only 32 when he was hired as the Raider HC in 1969

Wow, Madden always looked 60 years old

 

[Duckjake]

Thats what it was going to take to find someone to coach the Raiders. Anybody with any kind of experince wouldn't even think of taking a job there.

Not even Dennis Green!

And to think that those guys played in the SuperBowl after the 2002 season.

 

[Metcalf Rules]

Gary Coleman was only about 10 years old when he managed the San Diego Padres in "The Kid From Left Field."

 

[NYCARDS]

Gary Coleman was only about 10 years old when he managed the San Diego Padres in "The Kid From Left Field."

 

[Stallion]

What an odd hiring process. I'm guessing it went something like this:

Al: "Hey, Pete, this is Al Davis. Give me a call when you get this. I want to talk about just winning, baby!"

--

Al: "Pete. Al Davis here. Don't know if you got my message. Call me, baby! It's just-win time!"

--

Al: "Uh...Pete? This is Al Davis. You know, owner of the Raiders? Hello??"

--

Al: "Hello, Steve Sarkisian? Any idea why Pete Carroll won't return my calls?"

Steve: "Um...maybe he's busy."

Al: "Do you want the job?"

Steve: "No."

--

Steve: "Hello?"

Al: "We can win, baby!"

Steve: "Not again. Lane, can you handle this?"

Lane: "Hello?"

Al: "Who's this? Do you work for USC?"

Lane: "Yes."

Al: "You're hired."

 

[Russ Smith]

Gruden was only 34 when the Raiders hired him to be HC, and he did the best job there of anyone in the last decade. Turned his success into an $8M buyout + 2 1st rounders. Very rare for coaches to be traded.

Theo Epstein was only 28 when the Red Sox hired him to be freakin' GM and the team won the World Series not much later.

So the answer is clear. We need to sign Arthur as DC, now.

But those guys were somewhat different. Davis didn't interview Kiffin to be the HC he interviewed him to be the OC, and Kiffin rejected the offer. Then after Sarkisian backed out, he called Kiffin back and offered him the HC job. That's pretty odd.

Kiffin wasn't well liked by people at USC, Tim Kawakami did an article on the hiring this morning that says he got all sorts of feedback from people at USC about both Sarkisian and Kiffin and a lot of it was bad. People at USC weren't all that sad to see Kiffin go many felt he was pampered by Carroll because Caroll considered Monty Kiffin, Lane's dad, to be a mentor so he treated Lane with a double standard.

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/columnists/tim_kawakami/16522777.htm

 

[Faithful]

Anyone know what Raider fans are saying about this hiring?

 

[Pariah]

Anyone know what Raider fans are saying about this hiring?

"RRRRWWWAAAARRRGGGGHHHHH!!!! F%^&! SH&% DOUCHE AS$%%&@ MONKEY #^^&**@ ... belch"

I'm paraphrasing, of course.

 

[Gambit]

What an odd hiring process. I'm guessing it went something like this:

Al: "Hey, Pete, this is Al Davis. Give me a call when you get this. I want to talk about just winning, baby!"

--

Al: "Pete. Al Davis here. Don't know if you got my message. Call me, baby! It's just-win time!"

--

Al: "Uh...Pete? This is Al Davis. You know, owner of the Raiders? Hello??"

--

Al: "Hello, Steve Sarkisian? Any idea why Pete Carroll won't return my calls?"

Steve: "Um...maybe he's busy."

Al: "Do you want the job?"

Steve: "No."

--

Steve: "Hello?"

Al: "We can win, baby!"

Steve: "Not again. Lane, can you handle this?"

Lane: "Hello?"

Al: "Who's this? Do you work for USC?"

Lane: "Yes."

Al: "You're hired."