Sep 6, 2014; Knoxville, TN, USA; Tennessee Volunteers fans react during an Arkansas State Red Wolves third down during the second half at Neyland Stadium. Tennessee won 34 to 19. Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-USA TODAY Sports
The reaction in Knoxville, and around the sports world, to Kiffin’s departure from Tennessee is infamous at this point. The following tweets provide a great summary of the feelings of the general public that night and the days after the announcement.
A few hundred UT students are outside the football complex chanting "(Freak) you Kiffin!" #Vols
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 13, 2010
The Rock reads: "F*** you Lane Kiffin."
— Austin Ward (@AWardSports) January 13, 2010
Big student stampede at Tennessee, literally chasing Lane Kiffin off campus. Players Tweeting it from athletic dorm.
— Ryan McGee (@ESPNMcGee) January 13, 2010
Remember when Kiffin named his son Knox last year? Now what -- change it to Troy?
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 13, 2010
#Vols DE Gerald Williams: “We were Tennessee before Coach Kiffin got here, and we’ll be Tennessee when he leaves.”
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 13, 2010
#Vols DE Ben Martin said he and other players walked out of the meeting before Kiffin was finished. "I just couldn't sit through it."
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 13, 2010
One #Vols student at the mini-riot yelled, "Kiffin put the guns in Tyler's car! Arrest him!"
— Wes Rucker (@wesrucker247) January 13, 2010
Knoxville police officers are parked at Lane Kiffin's house for protection.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 13, 2010
"Kiffin comes across as a guy who was born on third base and acts as if he hit a triple" -- Great line by my colleague @espn4D
— Jemele Hill (@jemelehill) January 13, 2010
Monte Kiffin on air in Knoxville this morning, just committed secondary violation by mentioning recruit by name. Exit as you enter.
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 13, 2010
Lane Kiffin: better travel agent or coach at this point?
— trey wingo (@wingoz) January 13, 2010
Just read in the Kingsport Tines News that Knoxville apparel store Hound Dogs will be shipping its Kiffin-related gear to Haiti
— Ben Volin (@BenVolin) January 13, 2010
Tennessee AD Mike Hamilton, when I asked how he would describe Lane Kiffin's tenure as Vols coach: "Brief."
— Joe Schad (@schadjoe) January 13, 2010
If Lane Kiffin's last name is Smith, then he has had no NFL job and zero college jobs. Tenn fans shld be happy u just dodged a big bullett.
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) January 13, 2010
Lane Kiffin is less believable than the Iraqi Information Minister.
— Barrett Sallee 🇺🇸 (@BarrettSallee) January 14, 2010
No one knows what would’ve transpired had Lane Kiffin stayed at Tennessee. There’s no doubt he was a good recruiter and he’s a pretty solid X’s and O’s guy too. But he didn’t always play by the rules, something that could’ve been the undoing of his tenure in Knoxville if he would’ve stayed. Some writers/reporters have speculated that a Bruce Pearl type incident was looming for Kiffin had he remained the Vols’ head coach.
While it’s impossible to know what would’ve went down at Tennessee, one thing is certain — without Kiffin’s abrupt departure, we might have never been graced with the hours of entertainment that Derek Dooley provided via his three years of press conferences at Tennessee.
Silver linings, folks.