Changing Lanes

Just days after Pete Carroll's official departure from Southern California to return coaching in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks, the Trojans football team found their guy. After reports of Jacksonville Jaguars coach and former USC alumni Jack Del Rio broke the news as a potential target, Steve Mariucci's name also began to be brought up. But one name that flew under the radar is Lane Kiffin. The former Tennessee Vols coach who signed a 6-year deal just a season ago, resigns and gets set to head back to SC where he will take over the team's head coaching job. Kiffin served as an assistant coach for the Trojans as both the wide receiver coach & passing coordinator coach (2001-04) and offensive coordinator from (2005-06).

The former understudy of Pete Carroll will now have his opportunity to rebound and transform from what's been a mediocre head coaching career so far into a potential offensive mastermind. There's no doubt Kiffin has the potential of getting the Trojans back on top of the football world as he was the brainchild behind SC's powerful offense when they reigned atop the college rankings. Upon his arrival in Tennessee, Kiffin claimed he was going to make UT the USC of the South and East Coast as he showed players video of former Trojan greats -- Reggie Bush & Carson Palmer. With Bush & Palmer long gone, Kiffin will have to get to know his new players, headlined by Trojan QB Matt Barkley.

As a follower of SC football, I was excited to see if Steve Mariucci was going to land the job, given he's a former 49er coach that also joined the USC staff in 1986 before landing a job with the California Golden Bears. But instead they'll get someone a bit more familiar with the Trojan program, as all eyes will be on Lane Kiffin come next football season. Lane Kiffin, son of one of the most preeminent defensive coordinators in modern football, Monte Kiffin, will be joining his father at SC. Monte was recently hired as the Trojans defensive coordinator and will now be working alongside his son for the first time.

Lane Kiffin's coaching resume includes: Time spent as a staff member for Fresno State (1997-98), offensive line coach at Colorado State (1999), assistant coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2000), USC (2001-2006), Oakland Raiders head coach (2007-2008) and head coach of the Tennessee Vols in 2009.