Elephant in the Lane Train Room

[AUght2win 6,832]

Here’s all I want to know from pro Lane people - has there ever, in CFB history, been an example of a guy who imploded at a previous stop but still went on to a consistent, long, successful career at a big job? 

Chizik - Imploded at ISU and later at Auburn. 

Orgeron - Imploded at Ole Miss and later at LSU.

Muschamp - Imploded at Florida and later at South Carolina.

Jimbo - Imploded at FSU and is currently imploding at TAMU.

Lane - Imploded at USC…

Seriously, how are people not concerned about this? Could he be successful at Auburn? Sure.

But it would defy a repeatedly tried precedent in CFB’s long history.

[kennypowers 1,431]

Lane will always leave a program in worse shape and bolt when it becomes evident that he's actually not a very good coach.  He's worshipped in Ole Miss, and he can still lose up to 4/5 per year and become the most winning coach there ever.  He's found his sweet spot.

Edited November 7, 2022 by kennypowers

[Elephant Tipper 430]

Did someone call me ?

[Elephant Tipper 430]

3 minutes ago, kennypowers said:

He's found his sweet spot.

I don't know about that.  LK surely knows about AU's early retirement program.

[TigerHorn 1,351]

McElroy claimed on ESPN earlier today that AU "made an offer to a coach, and the coach wanted a 9 figure package", ie, like Jimbo. Kiffen is the only guy on our list with that kind of leverage IMO. I hope we told him to fuhgeddaboutit. He's not worth that. 

[AU_Tiger_88 417]

6 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

McElroy claimed on ESPN earlier today that AU "made an offer to a coach, and the coach wanted a 9 figure package", ie, like Jimbo. Kiffen is the only guy on our list with that kind of leverage IMO. I hope we told him to fuhgeddaboutit. He's not worth that. 

Not when you can (in my opinion) get a better coach that will recruit lights out and not just be a portal picker.  That will catch up to him.

[AUinMS9528 1,086]

7 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

McElroy claimed on ESPN earlier today that AU "made an offer to a coach, and the coach wanted a 9 figure package", ie, like Jimbo. Kiffen is the only guy on our list with that kind of leverage IMO. I hope we told him to fuhgeddaboutit. He's not worth that. 

McElroy, like just about every other talking head in the media, cannot be trusted at all when it comes to our coaching search!!!

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,392]

8 minutes ago, TigerHorn said:

McElroy claimed on ESPN earlier today that AU "made an offer to a coach, and the coach wanted a 9 figure package", ie, like Jimbo. Kiffen is the only guy on our list with that kind of leverage IMO. I hope we told him to fuhgeddaboutit. He's not worth that. 

Even Saban doesn’t hate that kind of contract...

If that was Kiffin asking for that much, he’s basically saying that he’s staying “No thanks I’m staying at at Ole Miss“

[Strychnine 1,802]

I remember reading about Kiffin being fired at the airport, in 2013.  Had someone told me that in less than 10 years, he would be considered as a favorite for Auburn's next head coach, I would have thought it was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard.

[WarTim 3,456]

11 minutes ago, Bro Johnny Mac said:

Even Saban doesn’t hate that kind of contract...

If that was Kiffin asking for that much, he’s basically saying that he’s staying “No thanks I’m staying at at Ole Miss“

Or maybe he is asking market value

[AUght2win 6,832]

10 minutes ago, Strychnine said:

I remember reading about Kiffin being fired at the airport, in 2013.  Had someone told me that in less than 10 years, he would be considered as a favorite for Auburn's next head coach, I would have thought it was the most ridiculous thing I had ever heard.

And that’s how I feel right now. He’s the EXACT same guy. Hasn’t grown or matured at all. The game itself has changed. But the personal traits that cause him to wreck programs haven’t.

[icanthearyou 4,462]

As an OC,,, great.  As head coach,,, no thank you.

[Gowebb11 9,314]

45 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

Here’s all I want to know from pro Lane people - has there ever, in CFB history, been an example of a guy who imploded at a previous stop but still went on to a consistent, long, successful career at a big job? 

Chizik - Imploded at ISU and later at Auburn. 

Orgeron - Imploded at Ole Miss and later at LSU.

Muschamp - Imploded at Florida and later at South Carolina.

Jimbo - Imploded at FSU and is currently imploding at TAMU.

Lane - Imploded at USC…

Seriously, how are people not concerned about this? Could he be successful at Auburn? Sure.

But it would defy a repeatedly tried precedent in CFB’s long history.

He took over USC in January 2010 if I recall correctly. That summer they were hit with probation costing them 30 scholarships. He won 10 games year 2, then 7-6 in year 3 which is usually when scholarship loss has caught up. Not sure that qualifies as an implosion.  

[AUght2win 6,832]

1 minute ago, Gowebb11 said:

He took over USC in January 2010 if I recall correctly. That summer they were hit with probation costing them 30 scholarships. He won 10 games year 2, then 7-6 in year 3 which is usually when scholarship loss has caught up. Not sure that qualifies as an implosion.  

No. He was 7-6 in year 3 and THEN started 3-2 in year 4 and fired on the tarmac. 

[GreenTiger 1,005]

9 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

And that’s how I feel right now. He’s the EXACT same guy. Hasn’t grown or matured at all. The game itself has changed. But the personal traits that cause him to wreck programs haven’t.

How did he do at Florida Atlantic? How did he do at Bama? How is he doing at Ole Miss? He doesn’t seem to have wrecked those programs. In fact that seem to have improved or found pretty good success during his tenure. 

[GAAubie 501]

1 hour ago, AUght2win said:

Here’s all I want to know from pro Lane people - has there ever, in CFB history, been an example of a guy who imploded at a previous stop but still went on to a consistent, long, successful career at a big job? 

Chizik - Imploded at ISU and later at Auburn. 

Orgeron - Imploded at Ole Miss and later at LSU.

Muschamp - Imploded at Florida and later at South Carolina.

Jimbo - Imploded at FSU and is currently imploding at TAMU.

Lane - Imploded at USC…

Seriously, how are people not concerned about this? Could he be successful at Auburn? Sure.

But it would defy a repeatedly tried precedent in CFB’s long history.

Gene Stallings

[Bro Johnny Mac 1,392]

16 minutes ago, WarTim said:

Or maybe he is asking market value

The market value fluctuates.. so it could be that he’s more valuable than any coach under contract right now.

If we are willing to pay, I’m not a apposed to the train.. 

[AUght2win 6,832]

Just now, GreenTiger said:

How did he do at Florida Atlantic? How did he do at Bama? How is he doing at Ole Miss? He doesn’t seem to have wrecked those programs. In fact that seem to have improved or found pretty good success during his tenure. 

- FAU is FAU

- He was not HC at Alabama but was fired before his tenure was up. 

- Ole Miss is Ole Miss and he’s in year 3.

[alabastertiger 613]

25 minutes ago, WarTim said:

Or maybe he is asking market value

I mean we are paying someone that much not to coach ... Why not the other way around?

[auburnatl1 4,892]

[metafour 4,968]

Those comparisons make zero sense and are missing a pretty freaking important differentiator that you conveniently omitted:

 

Gene Chizik: Had done absolutely nothing to suggest that he was a good HC before being hired at Auburn (still won a National Championship before imploding lol)

Ed Orgeron: Had done absolutely nothing to suggest that he was a good HC before being hired at LSU (still won a National Championship before imploding lol)

Will Muschamp: Had done absolutely nothing to suggest that he was a good HC before being hired at South Carolina

Jimbo Fisher: Had won a National Championship, but is currently imploding because he refuses to modernize his offense and give up play-calling duties (this will be changed for him if he maintains his job)

 

What's the big difference with Lane Kiffin's case? Well, you conveniently forgot that since "imploding" at USC, he has actually had two BACK TO BACK tenures of extreme success as a HC at two schools that aren't particularly easy to win at at:

FAU: Won two Conference Championships in three seasons (they were winning 3 games a season before he got there)

Ole Miss: On pace to win 10+ games in back to back seasons in just three years on the job (the last time this happened in their program's history was 1959/1960)

The first three guys you named (Chizik, Orgeron, Muschamp) had no success as a HC whatsoever at any point in time before they landed their final and most recent gigs, so what exactly is the comparison supposed to be?

I've explained these actual facts to you before, but of course I know you've dug your heels in and are going to act conveniently ignorant because you've settled on an opinion and don't want to budge from it. 

I've also explained to you that Lane Kiffin was just 35 years old when he "imploded" at USC, and simply wasn't ready to handle a program of that size under freaking NCAA probation. That's also another big differentiator that you forgot: none of those other guys you just listed were the equivalent of NCAA post-graduates.

I think it's also incredibly sad that you refuse to believe that a 35 year old HC who failed TEN YEARS AGO could possibly learn how to do the job after fixing and rehabilitating his career. That's your big message and takeaway here? He failed at 35 years old so he's done for eternity? It's impossible for him to learn how to properly be a HC? His time spent under Nick Saban meant nothing? 

Again, I know I just wasted my time writing all that, but whatever. Maybe someone else will find it insightful lol.

[Gowebb11 9,314]

21 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

No. He was 7-6 in year 3 and THEN started 3-2 in year 4 and fired on the tarmac. 

I’m aware. The scholarship reductions catch up in years 3-4. Check Alabama’s record for their most recent probation. Or Terry Bowden in year 3 and 4 at AU. The ability to use the transfer portal change that, but then that’s the way it was. Lane caught the tail end of OMs situation and is on pace for back to back 10 win seasons, something we haven’t done in over 30 years. 

[abw0004 10,110]

@metafour, who would be your ideal candidate that you would want to land the job now that you have had time to think on it?

[metafour 4,968]

13 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

- FAU is FAU

- He was not HC at Alabama but was fired before his tenure was up. 

- Ole Miss is Ole Miss and he’s in year 3.

My man, I know you're not an idiot. Stop behaving like one. 

Ole Miss is Ole Miss?

Yes man, Ole Miss routinely fields teams that win 10+ games. Happens all the freaking time. They have an excellent history of easy 10+ win seasons in the SEC West.

You also conveniently forgot that Ole Miss was actually predicted to be "down" this season (go read any of the preseason predictions) after they lost a lot off of last year's team. So really, Kiffin has them on pace to win 10+ games again in what was actually supposed to be a rebuilding year for them.

But I'm sure Kiffin deserves no credit for that either. The games just win themselves at Ole Miss haha. 

[Strychnine 1,802]

36 minutes ago, AUght2win said:

And that’s how I feel right now. He’s the EXACT same guy. Hasn’t grown or matured at all. The game itself has changed. But the personal traits that cause him to wreck programs haven’t.

 

I have to give him credit, as he recovered from something that likely kills most head coaching careers, and did it in less than 10 years.