Tennessee's Kiffin praising Saban's staff for a reason10-15-2009 Question: When does an SEC head coach help another conference team recruit? Answer: Never. On Wednesday, October 14th (out of the blue), Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin decided to lavish praise upon Alabama coach Nick Saban and his staff. Tuesday, in the middle of the SEC coaches teleconference, Kiffin laid the love on Alabama. He said, “They’ve done an unbelievable job with back-to back national recruiting titles. They’re playing unbelievable. They’re so well coached. I would think they’re the best coached team in the conference.” Come on Lane! Your statements are “unbelievable”. Why, after basically challenging Saban to a recruiting duel earlier in the year, are you suddenly enamored with Saban and his staff? Is because you are buttering them up for the kill? I doubt that. Were your comments designed to discredit your mortal enemy, Urban Meyer? I don’t think so. Or, did SEC commissioner Mike Slive bring down the hammer over your “rogue” recruiter, Lance Thompsons’ comments to a recruit from Georgia? Probably. Were you forced to issue the statement because a member of your staff convinced that recruit to de-commit from Alabama because the Tide was going to be on probation for years to come? In fact, using the “iceberg theory”, what else did he tell that young man? Perhaps the concern – voiced by the player himself – that surfaced recently was just the tip of the iceberg. What else did your man tell him? I can only imagine and only the shadow knows the truth. Rumors about the situation over in Georgia have been stewing for a while and Kiffin’s sudden love for the Bama staff is too convenient. Was Lane’s (very public) praise of the Tide staff payback for the method used to sway the young player from Georgia’s mind? Say what you want about my theory, but I guarantee you it makes a great deal more sense than any other reason I’ve heard. Everyone knows that SEC recruiting is the most negative, brutal business there is – excluding Washington politics of course. I may be dead wrong with my theory on why Kiffin suddenly decided to help Alabama reload the barrels by claiming they are the best staff in the conference, but I doubt it. Lane Kiffin is smarter than that – I hope. I know Commissioner Slive has had to nail Kiffin to the wall previously. Has he done it again? Only Nick Saban would be wise enough to forget the public reprimand and ask Slive to require Kiffin to humble his self before the nation. Like I said in the beginning, SEC coaches don’t help other coaches recruit without a good reason.
Article Courtesy of Shane From Centerpoint
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Alabama Football
