Knoxville, TN (Sportsbooks) - The University of Tennessee made it official Monday and formally introduced Lane Kiffin as the 21st head
football coach in school history.
"I met with all of our players last night and they are definitely excited in the direction we are going," said Kiffin. "I felt really good about Tennessee from the start and I am thrilled to be here. We will do things right, but give us time and be patient."
Kiffin, fired as head coach of the NFL's Oakland Raiders earlier this year, is replacing longtime Vols head coach Phillip Fulmer, who announced earlier this month he would not return for an 18th season with his alma mater.
"I'm not trying to be him," said Kiffin about Fulmer. "The Tennessee program would not be where it is without him and he has been a great influence on this school."
The 33-year-old Kiffin was let go by the Raiders on October 1 after Oakland got off to a 1-3 start this year. He had a 5-15 record in a season and a half with the Silver and Black, leaving in a bitter war of words with Raiders owner Al Davis. However, Kiffin did thank Davis at the press conference for giving him his first head coaching job.
Prior to taking over the Raiders, Kiffin was an assistant on Pete Carroll's staff at the University of Southern California, eventually being elevated to offensive coordinator for the 2005 and 2006 seasons. He also assumed the role of recruiting coordinator for those seasons.
"Over the past few weeks, we have been on the road meeting with prospective coaches and talking to some of football's most influential and knowledgeable players and coaches about the future of the Tennessee football program," said athletic director Mike Hamilton. "We have had unbelievable interest from great coaches. When it was all said and done, we felt like Lane Kiffin was a perfect fit for Tennessee. He's energetic, charismatic, consumed with recruiting and has had a lifelong love affair with football."
The Vols sent Fulmer off on a high note with a 28-10 victory over Kentucky in Saturday's season finale. Tennessee finished the 2008 campaign with a disappointing 5-7 record, including a 3-5 mark in the SEC.
Since being named head coach in 1992, Fulmer amassed a record of 152-52 with two SEC titles. He also guided the Vols to the 1998 national championship, the school's first since 1951.
