Lane Kiffin Named USC Head Football Coach
ByMonte Kiffin and Ed Orgeron will join the staff as assistants.
Jan. 12, 2010
LOS ANGELES – Lane Kiffin, the one-time USC offensive coordinator who then became the head coach of the Oakland Raiders and at Tennessee, has been named the Trojans’ head football coach, USC athletic director Mike Garrett announced today (Jan. 12).
Joining Kiffin’s staff as assistants will be Ed Orgeron and Monte Kiffin. Both were on the Tennessee staff in 2009.
Orgeron, one of college football’s top recruiters and defensive line coaches, previously served 7 seasons at USC before becoming Mississippi’s head coach and then an assistant with the New Orleans Saints. Monte Kiffin, Lane’s father, is a longtime NFL and collegiate coach known for his defensive prowess.
“We are really excited to welcome Lane Kiffin back to USC,” said Garrett. “I was able to watch him closely when he was an assistant with us and what I saw was a bright, creative young coach who I thought would make an excellent head coach here if the opportunity ever arose. I’m confident he and his staff will keep USC football performing at the high level that we expect.
“Lane brings a lot to the table. He has a coaching background both in the pros and in the best collegiate conferences. He has a great command of the X’s and O’s. He is familiar with the Trojan landscape and will be a great representative of our university. He keeps the game fun. And, very importantly, he has proven to be one of the finest recruiters anywhere.
“Lane has surrounded himself with others of similar talent. I can’t tell you how delighted we are to have Ed Orgeron back on staff and to have Monte Kiffin join us. They are some of the pre-eminent coaches in the game. Ed did a marvelous job during his previous time at USC and we all know that Monte is a defensive guru. I know Lane will fill out his staff with other outstanding assistants like them, ones who Trojan players and fans will really like.”
Kiffin replaces Pete Carroll, who resigned on Monday (Jan. 10) after 9 seasons at USC to accept the head coaching job with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks.
