Lane Kiffin To USC; That's Right Lane Kiffin

Relax, Nick Saban. Kick back and enjoy, Bobby Petrino. In arguably the most stunning move of the offseason, Lane Kiffin is leaving Tennessee to succeed Pete Carroll at USC -- after one season.

Seriously, is there anyone better at securing jobs with less success than Kiffin, who is 12-21 in a combined three seasons with the Oakland Raiders and the Volunteers. Now he lands one of the premier jobs in all of American sports?
The draw for Kiffin, is clear. He returns to a landscape he's familiar with, having served as the Trojans offensive coordinator and recruiting coordinator and inherits a program that is one year removed from seven straight Pac-10 titles. Choosing Kiffin, who spent six years at USC, and doing it quickly, gives him time to try and convince the Carroll commits who are reconsidering to stay in the land of the Song Girls.
The draw is clear, but the move itself is dubious at best.
Volunteers AD Mike Hamilton stood behind Kiffin during the NCAA secondary violations and during the war of words with seemingly every SEC coach and this is how he repays them? He's reportedly taking half of his staff with him, including Kiffin's father, defensive coordinator Monte and recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron. Kiffin was supposed to bring a new life to the program in the wake of Philip Fulmer leaving, but instead he's put Tennessee in a horrible spot with three weeks to go before National Signing Day.
So where do the Vols turn now? The safe choice, and the choice they should make, is Duke coach and former Fulmer staffer David Cutcliffe, a familiar face who could help to soothe the wounds. But don't count out Louisiana Tech's Derek Dooley, a Southern coaching legacy who was on Saban's staff at LSU and whose grandfather Vince, would give him instant credibility in every home in the state of Georgia.
Kiffin never seemed to fit into the SEC atmosphere, exchanging verbal jabs with the likes of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer in what seemed like a conceived plot to peacock with the rest of the conference's Alpha Males. You can't knock Kiffin for taking a job more suited to his lineage and his personality, but he's going to have a hard time smoothing things over with a fanbase scorned.
You wanted Fulmer gone, Tennessee fans, though what you got was something far worse. Your program took on the perception of a mid-major stepping stone. Whoever is charged with picking up the pieces is going to have their hands full in keeping recruits and convincing Vols fans their program is still a national power.