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10 times Tennessee Vols athletics raised fans hopes too high

By Caleb Calhoun

KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images)
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 12: Lane Kiffin, head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers talks in the press conference after a game against the UCLA Bruins on September 12, 2009 at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee. UCLA beat Tennessee 19-15. (Photo by Joe Murphy/Getty Images) /
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Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images
Photo by Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images /

7. Lane Kiffin for USC after creating fireworks in 2009 with Tennessee football

His departure was a major tease, and Tennessee Vols fans had reason to be angry about it. However, the reason Lane Kifffin doing what he did is not higher on the list is due to the fact that UT fans and administrators should have known what they were getting into when they hired the young, brash head coach.

Mike Hamilton hired Kiffin looking for the exact opposite personality of Phillip Fulmer. He wanted to generate energy. Kiffin did just that, publicly trash-talking Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators while convincing the administration to shell out money for the elite staff he said he’d build. His splash methods made headway on the recruiting trail.

In his first class, he secured a top 10 ranking and the top-ranked player in the nation, running back Bryce Brown. Then he was in line for the best class in the nation the next year. A 7-6 season saw lots of thrillers, including almost beating the Alabama Crimson Tide, black jerseys on Halloween in a win over the South Carolina Gamecocks and Eric Berry winning the Thorpe Award.

But less than two weeks after their last game, on Jan. 12, 2010, Kiffin bolted for the USC Trojans, who were struggling to replace Pete Carroll, in the middle of the night. He took half his staff and half his recruits with him. The result was a wounded program that set the Vols back years, as they misfired with their next two hires. Excitement turned to resentment in just one night here.

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