misunderestimation

Jan 23 2007

New Raiders Head Coach: Lane Kiffin

Category: Sports — Tim @ 8:05 am

The Raiders made a very interesting announcement on Monday naming 31-year-old USC offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin, as their new head coach.

Kiffin, the son of Tampa Bay defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, earned the job with a strong interview Monday after the Raiders failed to reach a deal last week with 32-year-old Steve Sarkisian, Kiffin’s fellow assistant to Pete Carroll at USC.

One has to ask, what was Al Davis thinking?

Davis got exactly the type of coach he’d been seeking since firing Art Shell on Jan. 4: a young prospect with more upswing than experience, and a flair for offense.

Davis tried to hire one of Kiffin’s colleagues first, but USC assistant head coach Steve Sarkisian, 32, turned down the job offer Friday. One day earlier, Kiffin interviewed for Oakland’s offensive-coordinator opening, only to turn down the team’s job offer for that position.

When Sarkisian stunned the Raiders by withdrawing himself from consideration in the head-coaching race, they focused their attention on Kiffin, who has no head-coaching experience.

OK, Kiffin may have been a “rebound” hire, but there is a precedent in Raider’s history for hiring young coaches:

But Davis has ample reason to trust in young minds: Jon Gruden, Mike Shanahan and John Madden all succeeded as Raiders head coaches in their 30s — as did Davis.

Kiffin is 14 months younger than Madden was when the Hall of Fame coach took over the Raiders in 1969. Davis was 33 years, 6 months when he took charge of the Raiders in 1963.

Kiffin, a former Fresno State quarterback, is younger than at least nine players who finished the season with Oakland during its NFL-worst 2-14 campaign, including defensive tackle Warren Sapp, fullback Zack Crockett and receiver Alvis Whitted.

When you consider the challenges facing the Raiders, a young energetic coach may just be the ticket.