Lane Kiffin was one and done, but no one knew it on December 1, 2008 when he was hired to be the head coach at Tennessee.
Kiffin was tasked with rebuilding the Volunteers football program and for the brief time he was on the job, his efforts were commendable.
Now that Kiffin has shocked Tennessee with his acceptance of the head coaching job at Southern California, the Vols football program will undergo yet another rebuilding process.
For all intents and purposes, Tennessee was beginning the second year of a potential three or four year rebuilding process. The Vols were lacking talent and depth after several lackluster recruiting efforts by former coach Phil Fulmer and his staff.
Tennessee had become stagnant under Fulmer’s direction and the program needed an infusion of energy. Kiffin, despite what the critics are saying, brought a level of energy to the Vols football program that hadn’t been seen in years.
It’s understandable why the Tennessee family is upset with Kiffin’s decision to leave. So many had placed their hopes on his ability to lift Tennessee back among the nation’s elite college football programs.
But the fact remains that Tennessee football has always been bigger than any coach, and regardless who Athletic Director Mike Hamilton hires to replace Kiffin, that coach will have to place his mark on the program and pick up where Kiffin left off. 
Obviously, no one wanted to see Kiffin leave under these circumstances, taking assistant coaches with him and potentially some of the prep prospects he had successfully recruited to play for Tennessee.
Even worse was the timing, with National Signing Day just three weeks away.
With several of the nation’s best prep football players still deciding which school they want to attend, Tennessee was in the mix for a dozen or so prospects that could have made this year’s recruiting class even better than last year.
But all the anger and hand-wringing in the world won’t solve the problems Tennessee’s football program is faced with.
There are plenty of viable candidates that will be interested in taking over a program that has so much potential. Tennessee offers multiple advantages to a prospective coach that can only be found at a limited number of schools.
The Volunteers athletic facilities are among the finest in the nation. Neyland Stadium is one of the premier venues in all of college football. The SEC is the best conference in America with more weekly television exposure than any other conference.
SEC revenues continue to climb and the conference enjoys nine bowl tie-ins. The Southeastern Conference is virtually guaranteed two teams in BCS bowls every year and the winner of the SEC championship is nearly a lock to play for the BCS national championship.
Tennessee has much to offer any coach and prep prospects that want to be a part of a great football program. The situation may appear to be bleak, but the Volunteers football program has overcome dark days before and it will do so again.
Instead of focusing our anger at Kiffin, let’s channel that emotion into hiring an energetic coach that will continue the rebuilding process.
Rather than linger about Kiffin’s decision, Tennessee should highlight the positives and view this as another opportunity to take the Volunteers football program to its rightful place at the top of the college football world.
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