Hello Kiffin/Ethical Pat "Chemistry" Watch
by peggysue69 on Aug 16, 2010 5:42 PM PDT
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PrintBumped. GO BRUINS. -N
USA Today has an interesting article which raises 3 questions.
The article makes it look like sc AD Pat Haden is not a big fan of Lane Kiffin:
All of which raises this question: Would Nikias, a former dean of USC's engineering school, and Haden, a widely admired former USC star quarterback, Rhodes scholar and successful businessman and broadcaster, have hired the controversial Kiffin?
Haden, 57, sitting recently in the office he is decorating with framed pictures of old Trojans and new grandkids, hears the question, pauses for a long time, averts his glance to the ceiling, then exhales audibly.
"Lane Kiffin's our coach," he says. "Lane Kiffin is our coach."
And?
"I think Lane is … I know what Lane is," Haden continues. "Lane is an incredible recruiter, and Lane is a very good play-caller, and that's what I've known him as. He passed muster by three organizations. The Raiders— discount them if you want — hired him as their head coach. Tennessee hired him. And Mike Garrett and his staff hired him.
The first question is what is this about Haden being a successful businessperson after he helped preside over the stunningly spectacular IndyMac bank failure?
The second question is do you believe Haden, who was on the southern cal trustee board, when his body language expresses a lack of complete lack of comfort over the Kiffin hiring decision?
And the third question is how would you like to be Kiffin after that ringing endorsement from your boss?
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of BruinsNation's (BN) editors. It does reflect the views of this particular fan though, which is as important as the views of BN's editors.
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Al Davis is Kiffin's good friend.
Al Davis is a former SC football coach, should know a thing or two about football coaching.
I love your posts Peggysue!
“beleaguered athletic department” yep. So USA today thinks Ethical Pat doesn’t like lane much. I remember the discussions of Pat’s involvement with Lane’s hiring. What evidence do we have of that, that we can offer up? Question is to get some good info, not to dispute the claim. People at practice today, for instance, were under the impression that pat had nothing to do with Lame’s hiring.
Go Bruins!
Here's what we know and it comes from unidentified "sources."
As Nestor explained on July 20, 2010, Fox 71 brilliantly came up with a post from SportsByBrooks in January that Haden and Donald Roski, the trustee board chair, were leading the search for the new football coach and had the final say on the hiring.
The January 11, 2010 SportsByBrooks posting has 2 other comments of relevance.
First, it was reported:
Yesterday I reported that USC Athletic Director Mike Garrett’s decision-making power at the school had diminished recently and that Garrett was likely to "retire" at the same time USC School President Steven Sample does in August.
It happened.
Second, the SportsByBrooks piece reported:
There’s been additional rumors that Haden was in the running to take over as USC Athletic Director. A USC administration source told me today those rumors are false.
It happened.
Thus, the unnamed sources (other than that prognosicating trOJan seer who flatly denied that the failed banker, P. Capper Haden, would become AD) relied upon in the January 11, 2010 post cited by Fox 71 and Nestor have a pretty decent track record.
I don't understand.
Are you saying that Haden is secretly a Kiffin supporter and that we should ignore his apparent lack of confidence in him? We don’t believe anything “ethical Pat” says or does, so even his negative disposition towards Kiffin we should doubt? If he fires Kiffin, will Kiffin really not be fired?
While I understand that we hate all things Trojan, I find the commentary on their internecine warfare confusing. It seems like we should either be piling on, trumpeting the AD’s lack of confidence in the football head coach as a reason that people shouldn’t think of enrolling at $C; or alternatively we should be propping up Lame by undermining any negative stories about him, so we can keep him as head coach as long as possible.
I don’t understand the answers to your apparently rhetorical questions
The second question is do you believe Haden, who was on the southern cal trustee board, when his body language expresses a lack of complete lack of comfort over the Kiffin hiring decision?
Is the answer supposed to be no, I don’t believe him? If so, then the answer to part ©
And the third question is how would you like to be Kiffin after that ringing endorsement from your boss?
would be… I wouldn’t care, because I wouldn’t believe it (?)
Sorry for my confusion here, I just don’t quite get the point you at which you are driving…
I am only asking the 3 questions--I have not been cleared to answer themm
I think the whole thing is utterly bizarre. That can be said with complete certitude.
Maybe 75’s call (below) is correct.
It may be Haden is utterly incompetent at being an AD and, if so, that explains the USA interview responses which apparently included gasping for air or hyperventilating.
It could be Haden is putting pressure on Kiffin to win now or leave or expect to leave.
The worst thing that could happen is for Haden to fire Kiffin right now (I mean right this instant before the sun comes up) and for a proven pro winner like Tony Dungy or Bill Cowher to come in.
by peggysue69 on Aug 16, 2010 10:09 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
ah, ok
if your point is that it is bizarre, I am totally on board
by britishbruin on Aug 16, 2010 10:30 PM PDT up reply actions
Everything else is informed guessing or tea leaf reading
That is the wackiest strangest off the wall interview of a major college AD in history. So bizarre probably says it best.
by peggysue69 on Aug 16, 2010 10:50 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
My take, for what its worth
Haden was pro Kiffen in the panic after Cheatey announced and after they were turned down by several others. Kiffen’s ability to hold recruits and bring some from Tennessee was the major reason for the quick selection. Now, with the program under the microscope and Haden directly between the crosshairs of anything that goes wrong, Haden is uncomfortable with have the repeat offender loose canon as the head football coach. Haden’s non endorsement of Kiffen in the quote means that he will jettison Lame when it becomes convenient to maintain his own image. That’s how I read all the tealeaves.
I agree, 75.
I think Ethical Pat is going to look out for himself first and foremost. When he and Roski were told to hire a football coach, I’m sure they had all sorts of criteria, but the main one was that there would be no change in the way trOJan football did its business. They needed someone who had been there, and knew how to play the game. Bear in mind that Ethical Pat was a player when the big time scandals were happening, and he lived with the head coach. The evidence suggests that cheating and covering it up has been the norm at just$c* for decades, so the last thing that Ethical Pat would want in a coach would be someone who might say, “Hey, Ethical, we can’t do that. That’s cheating.”
(Remember when Rick Majerus took over as trogan basketball coach, for about a day. What happened in that short period? It has been postulated here, and accurately I think, that Rick had the facts of life at Inheritance Hall explained to him, and told them that he wouldn’t cheat and walked out.)
Anyway, I think Ethical Pat hired Lame because he knew that Lame would do what Rick Majerus wouldn’t do. And Pat needs someone to occupy the post while he finds a real coach with that key qualification – a willingness to cheat, and to lie about cheating with a straight face. I still say that Calimari will take over the basketball program within two years – just after he gets canned for getting sanctions brought down on another school. Lame is in many respects the equal of Calimari, except that Calimari has had much more success in racking up wins.
OK, end of rant.
I agree, 71.
Plus, I think Lame was the best coach $c could get at that time –
there weren’t too many HC’s applying for the job. $c is going
to have tough times for several years and no one wants to go
down in the record books as the sap holding P.C.‘s bag.
Maybe Ethical Pat hired Lame thinking “What me worry?” and
then couldn’t wriggle out of the AD position.
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 16, 2010 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions
"Bear in mind..."
Please do not place our beloved namesake in the same sentence with anything trogan again.
Otherwise, I am in complete accord with you and 75’s takes.
right
with some level of deniability implied by
Mike Garrett and his staff hired him
by britishbruin on Aug 16, 2010 10:31 PM PDT up reply actions
Returning Bush's trophy
I get tired of hearing how they gave back Bush’s Heisman. They get no credit for this, because the NCAA findings required it. They were required to distance themselves from the legacies of Bush and Mayo. It was very simple. They are not doing anything noble or ethical by returning their copy of the ill-gotten trophy.
$c is just keeping up with the times
The new way of bidness is: try to dodge resposibility but
if you get caught act noble about your punishment,
always smear everyone in sight and spin, spin, spin!
Lying is the new honesty!
by KnudsenRockne on Aug 16, 2010 10:34 PM PDT up reply actions
Haden hired Kiffin to keep the seat warm for the duration of the sanctions.
End of story.
Kiffin kills two birds with one stone: He’s stupid enough to believe he was desired as an actual head coach and was willing to stain his ‘record’ by losing alot while the sanctions are served. Because he (and the ogre) coached at South Central AND he was bringing Monte with him, SC fans have proven how stupid they are, and are willing to remain season ticket holders. Presto! two birds killed with one retard.
Since the hiring, however Lane has been left holding the bag for Dillon Baxter’s false accusations and the hiring of Kennedy Pola. And, the one thing the image conscious prima donnas of South Central cannot stand is any attacks on their image. Therefore, Haden has begun to disctance himself from Kitten so as to not besmirch his bella figura.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Well
technically, Haden didn’t hire Kiffin.
I agree with your other postulations, but they only came to that conclusion after every coach with a brain who was offered the job turned it down.
I just hope that Flame Kitten wins just enough to keep his job for a few years (without ever beating UCLA), so that he can dig a hole so big it will take them years to get out of it. And hopefully, the next coach will be a big name who will be a big failure too!
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
Yup
Hope Kitten is allowed to stick around for at least 3 years.
by Nestor on Aug 17, 2010 7:23 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Lengthy Kiffin tenure
In our dreams.
by peggysue69 on Aug 17, 2010 7:26 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
I'm hoping
for a repeat of the 90’s. A nice decade long period of darkness for them, in which even the poor horse will refuse to trot out onto the field. I can’t think of a horse for whom I feel more sorry…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
I think it's a given Kitten stays around
As we have discussed earlier this year, the sanctions give him a built-in excuse for not winning. And, while his obscene salary sounds like a reason for firing him if he doesn’t win; I see it as a sign that he was brought on board to keep secrets and take the beating to his overall record.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
Sadly
his overall record might improve even with losing seasons…
But hey, what do I know. I’m just the 800 lbs bruin in the room.
He'll get at least two years.
With USC under penalties, switching the coach out isn’t a great idea. Kiffen, as much of an idiot he is can still recruit with the staff he has. They will keep him and see how things go. I predict if USC looks bad this year and next, he’ll be gone for a new proven coach to step in. No one wants to come into the situation under these circumstances, hence they are stuck with Lane just as before.
Enjoy the next two years Bruins, should we fun watching him flounder.
Kiffen a horrible hire for them during sanctions period
He is just too arrogant, blunt and bullheaded to get what he wants that he is almost certain to produce more sanctions while they are still in the flames. He’s good for us, because they will probably be hit again soon.
by 75NatChamps on Aug 17, 2010 12:55 PM PDT up reply actions
yeah, we should have something definitive in about 4 years.
The best thing you can do for your children is to love their mother. John Wooden
As cynical as Mexi's point seems...
…why would a Director of IndyMac (who disregarded financial shredding of his institution’s customers) think in terms of Lame’s career, knowing that the dufus is an easy scapegoat to be a placeholder during the NCAA sanctions.
Life in Troy is more less Hellenic and more akin to Ceasar’s Rome…keep your knives sharp and at the ready against your so-called supporters.
In three years Lame will leave South Central a richer man, financially and perhaps more congnizent of just how rewarding it is to have “friends” at $UC.
by C.T. in Boston on Aug 18, 2010 1:47 PM PDT up reply actions
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