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Kid coach Kiffin is no pushover
His makeup is similar to Gruden's
BY DON SEEHOLZER
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 11/16/2007 12:23:33 AM CST
Since the day the Oakland Raiders hired him as the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, Lane Kiffin has been compared to Jon Gruden, and former quarterback Rich Gannon said there are definite similarities.
From what the CBS analyst has seen and heard, when it comes to youthful energy and work ethic, the team's new 32-year-old coach is a lot like the guy Gannon played for from 1999-2001 before Gruden left for Tampa Bay.
Sideline demeanor is another story.
"The thing that's really impressed me the most about Lane, and this is how I know he's going to be a great coach, is his poise on the sideline," Gannon said. "You've got to keep in mind, not only is he the youngest head coach, the guy is calling the plays. His poise and his composure are mind-boggling. You watch Jon Gruden on the sideline, he comes apart at the seams sometimes. Lane very rarely shows his emotions. For a young guy like that, that's very impressive."
Kiffin's patience has been tested during his first season with the Raiders, who will bring a 2-7 record and five-game losing streak into Sunday's game against the Vikings.
The game will double as homecoming for the former Bloomington Jefferson High School quarterback and Vikings ball boy, who will have 20-some friends and family members in the stands and aspires to be much more than the league's youngest coach.
"That doesn't matter to me," Kiffin said. "Because if we don't win, who cares? I want to be the youngest head coach that wins
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a Super Bowl or I want to be the youngest head coach that wins this many division titles. It doesn't mean anything to me if you do something but you're not successful at it."
At 31 years, eight months on the day he was hired, Kiffin was 14 months younger than John Madden when he took over the Raiders in 1969 and 22 months younger than owner Al Davis when he came aboard as coach in 1963.
Kiffin also is younger than two of his players, defensive tackle Warren Sapp (34) and offensive tackle Barry Sims (32), and four Vikings, including quarterback Kelly Holcomb (34).
Asked if that makes him feel old, Holcomb said: "A little. Obviously, he's got some credibility with his dad (longtime Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin) and being around the game for a long time and coming from the USC program. But 32 years old? Man, that's young."
Confident beyond his years, Kiffin said he never addressed the age issue with his players, and he bought immediate good will in the locker room by retaining popular defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and offensive line coach Tom Cable.
After four straight losing seasons under Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Art Shell, running back Justin Fargas said the players were willing to give Kiffin the benefit of the doubt.
He got the job only after fellow Southern Cal assistant Steve Sarkisian passed, but Kiffin said he wouldn't have accepted if he hadn't gotten the answers he was looking for in his interview with Davis.
"I wasn't going to just take a job to take a job," he said. "I had to make sure that there were certain things in place, that certain things were going to be the way that I thought they needed to be. So in that interview process, we were interviewing each other. "
In fact, a case could be made that Kiffin already wields more power than any Raiders coach since Gruden.
"I think Lane's a pretty strong-minded guy," Gannon said. "I think he's got a real vision and a feel for what he wants to do."
Kiffin might not have been the Raiders' first choice for the job, but he's running with it. Looking back, Gannon said he could almost see it coming.
"Even as a ball boy, Lane was an entrepreneur," he said. "I remember he had this little side business (at training camp) where he used to wash and detail cars for players. He would make $20 here and $30 there. He was a guy who was always on the move, always hustling and looking for opportunities, and I think that's carried over into his professional life."
http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_7476695?nclick_check=1
His makeup is similar to Gruden's
BY DON SEEHOLZER
Pioneer Press
Article Last Updated: 11/16/2007 12:23:33 AM CST
Since the day the Oakland Raiders hired him as the youngest head coach in modern NFL history, Lane Kiffin has been compared to Jon Gruden, and former quarterback Rich Gannon said there are definite similarities.
From what the CBS analyst has seen and heard, when it comes to youthful energy and work ethic, the team's new 32-year-old coach is a lot like the guy Gannon played for from 1999-2001 before Gruden left for Tampa Bay.
Sideline demeanor is another story.
"The thing that's really impressed me the most about Lane, and this is how I know he's going to be a great coach, is his poise on the sideline," Gannon said. "You've got to keep in mind, not only is he the youngest head coach, the guy is calling the plays. His poise and his composure are mind-boggling. You watch Jon Gruden on the sideline, he comes apart at the seams sometimes. Lane very rarely shows his emotions. For a young guy like that, that's very impressive."
Kiffin's patience has been tested during his first season with the Raiders, who will bring a 2-7 record and five-game losing streak into Sunday's game against the Vikings.
The game will double as homecoming for the former Bloomington Jefferson High School quarterback and Vikings ball boy, who will have 20-some friends and family members in the stands and aspires to be much more than the league's youngest coach.
"That doesn't matter to me," Kiffin said. "Because if we don't win, who cares? I want to be the youngest head coach that wins
Advertisement
a Super Bowl or I want to be the youngest head coach that wins this many division titles. It doesn't mean anything to me if you do something but you're not successful at it."
At 31 years, eight months on the day he was hired, Kiffin was 14 months younger than John Madden when he took over the Raiders in 1969 and 22 months younger than owner Al Davis when he came aboard as coach in 1963.
Kiffin also is younger than two of his players, defensive tackle Warren Sapp (34) and offensive tackle Barry Sims (32), and four Vikings, including quarterback Kelly Holcomb (34).
Asked if that makes him feel old, Holcomb said: "A little. Obviously, he's got some credibility with his dad (longtime Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin) and being around the game for a long time and coming from the USC program. But 32 years old? Man, that's young."
Confident beyond his years, Kiffin said he never addressed the age issue with his players, and he bought immediate good will in the locker room by retaining popular defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, offensive coordinator Greg Knapp and offensive line coach Tom Cable.
After four straight losing seasons under Bill Callahan, Norv Turner and Art Shell, running back Justin Fargas said the players were willing to give Kiffin the benefit of the doubt.
He got the job only after fellow Southern Cal assistant Steve Sarkisian passed, but Kiffin said he wouldn't have accepted if he hadn't gotten the answers he was looking for in his interview with Davis.
"I wasn't going to just take a job to take a job," he said. "I had to make sure that there were certain things in place, that certain things were going to be the way that I thought they needed to be. So in that interview process, we were interviewing each other. "
In fact, a case could be made that Kiffin already wields more power than any Raiders coach since Gruden.
"I think Lane's a pretty strong-minded guy," Gannon said. "I think he's got a real vision and a feel for what he wants to do."
Kiffin might not have been the Raiders' first choice for the job, but he's running with it. Looking back, Gannon said he could almost see it coming.
"Even as a ball boy, Lane was an entrepreneur," he said. "I remember he had this little side business (at training camp) where he used to wash and detail cars for players. He would make $20 here and $30 there. He was a guy who was always on the move, always hustling and looking for opportunities, and I think that's carried over into his professional life."
http://www.twincities.com/vikings/ci_7476695?nclick_check=1