Kiffin gets Major(s) stamp of approval

By Jayson D. Henry

Much like when Bruce Pearl took over the University of Tennessee basketball program, Lane Kiffin seems to be pushing the right buttons to excite the fan base in Knoxville.

Pearl used his high energy personality and personal magnetism to quickly win over the local folk in east Tennessee. When the wins started to come in numbers Vol fans were somewhat unaccustomed to the love affair between coach and fans grew.

Kiffin too has created a spark, even before he has ever coached his first game in Neyland Stadium. His sometimes outlandish comments, and sometimes inaccurate comments, have brought new attention to a football program that had grown stale, boring and mediocre. Many in this area are showing an renewed enthusiasm for football that is noteworthy, even for the football crazed SEC.

Like Pearl, Kiffin has reached back into history to score points with the fan base. In the Vols’ most recent practice Kiffin had a previously alienated UT legend on site for a special visit. That legend was none other than Johnny Majors.

Majors is one of the great players and coaches in UT history. In 1956 he finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind Notre Dame great Paul Horning. That particular Heisman balloting is still held in low esteem in the Knoxville area, by the way.

Majors also triumphantly returned to his alma mater to coach just after having won a national championship at the University of Pittsburgh in 1976. He led the Vols to several fondly remembered victories including a 1985 Sugar Bowl win over Miami among others.

However, he suffered a heart ailment and was replaced on an interim basis by Phillip Fulmer in 1992. Then, Majors’ downfall at UT began. After a couple of upset losses upon his return to the sidelines and a dust up with some key higher-ups in the UT hierarchy Majors was forced out at the end of the ‘92 season and replaced by Fulmer permanently.

Needless to say, that did not sit too well with the coach and he has distanced himself from UT ever since, until yesterday.

Now that Fulmer, the symbol of his ouster, is gone Majors appears ready to embrace his old school and its new head coach. On Thursday, he attended a UT football practice for the first time since 1992 and he seemed to like what he saw.

“I thought it was outstanding in every way.” Majors declared. “That’s the way football should be practiced.

“The tempo, the energy, the effort and the attitude was superb. There was a lot of continuous coaching going on from the time they got on the field to the time they left. Nobody was standing around, players or coaches.

“There wasn’t a dull moment.”

There was probably a dig intended for the more demure Fulmer in there somewhere.

Whether intending to or not, Lane Kiffin is following the lead of Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl by bringing in pieces of the past. Now, like Pearl, he will have to produce wins to solidify his relationship with the Volunteer faithful. But for now, he has earned one Major(s) stamp of approval.

Contact me by e-mail at neverenoughsports@yahoo.com