USC is a three-letter abbreviation that may refer to:

Education[link]

• University of Southern California (Los Angeles, California), for which the acronym is a registered trademark (USPTO trademark serial number 75116291)
• University of South Carolina (Columbia, South Carolina), for which the acronym is a registered trademark (USPTO trademark serial number 75138304)
• United Services College (Devon, England)
• University of the Sacred Heart (Puerto Rico) or Universidad del Sagrado Corazón (San Juan, Puerto Rico)
• University of San Carlos (Cebu City, Philippines)
• University of Santiago de Compostela (Santiago de Compostela, Spain)
• University of Science and Culture (or in Persian:Daneshgah Elm va Farhang) is located in the Tehran, Iran
• University of the Southern Caribbean‎ (Trinidad & Tobago)
• University of Southern Colorado, renamed in 2003 to Colorado State University-Pueblo
• University Senior College, a year eleven and twelve school in Adelaide, South Australia
• University of the Sunshine Coast (Queensland, Australia)
• Upper St. Clair High School (Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania)
• Utica School of Commerce (Three locations in Upstate New York)

Government[link]

• United Nations Security Council, an organ of the United Nations
• United Somali Congress
• United States Cabinet, senior officers and advisors to the President of the United States
• United States Code, a compilation and codification of the general and permanent federal Law of the United States
• United States Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States
• United States Constitution, the supreme law of the United States of America

Law enforcement[link]

• Ulster Special Constabulary, a former reserve police force in Northern Ireland
• United States Constabulary, the security force of the U.S. Occupation Zone of West Germany

Sports[link]

• USC Gamecocks, the athletic program of the University of South Carolina
• USC Trojans, the athletic program of the University of Southern California
• Unity Sporting Club (Wenchi, Ghana)

Other[link]

• Heckler & Koch USC, a firearm
• Unified Soil Classification System, a soil classification system used in engineering and geology
• US Sugar Corporation, an agricultural business in Florida
• USC (clothing retailer), a clothing retailer in the UK
• WWE United States Championship, defended in World Wrestling Entertainment
• Ubuntu Software Center, a program for installing and removing software on the Ubuntu operating system

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Junior Seau

Junior Seau in 2008 with the New England Patriots
No. 55
Linebacker
Personal information
Date of birth: (1969-01-19)January 19, 1969
Place of birth: San Diego, California
Date of death: May 2, 2012(2012-05-02) (aged 43)
Place of death: Oceanside, California
Height: 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Weight: 248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school: Oceanside (CA)
College: Southern California
NFL Draft: 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5
Debuted in 1990 for the San Diego Chargers
Last played in 2009 for the New England Patriots
Career history
San Diego Chargers (1990–2002) Miami Dolphins (2003–2005) New England Patriots (2006–2009)
Career highlights and awards
12× Pro Bowl (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002) 8× First-team All-Pro (1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996,1998, 2000) 2× Second-team All-Pro (1997, 1999) 2× AFC Champion (1994, 2007) NFL Alumni Linebacker of the Year (2003) AFC Player of the Year (1994) Walter Payton Man of the Year (1994) UPI AFC Defensive Player of the Year (1992) NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year (1992) NFL 1990s All-Decade Team San Diego Chargers #55 retired San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame San Diego Chargers 50th Anniversary Team
Career NFL statistics as of 2009
Tackles 1,849 Sacks 56.5 Interceptions 18 Forced fumbles 3 Pass deflections 21 Stats at NFL.com

Tiaina Baul "Junior" Seau Jr. ( /ˈseɪ.aʊ/; January 19, 1969 – May 2, 2012) was a linebacker in the National Football League (NFL) who became a San Diego sports icon. Known for his passionate playing style,^[1][2] he was a 10-time All-Pro, 12-time Pro Bowl selection, and named to the NFL 1990s All-Decade Team.

Of Samoan descent, Seau played college football at the University of Southern California. He was taken by the San Diego Chargers as the fifth overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft. Seau starred for 13 seasons for the Chargers before being traded to the Miami Dolphins, where he spent three years before four final ones with the New England Patriots.

Seau retired from pro football in 2010. A standout on San Diego's only Super Bowl team, he was later inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame and the team retired his number 55. Seau committed suicide with a gun shot wound to the chest in 2012 at the age of 43.

Early years[link]

Tiaina Baul Seau Jr. was born January 19, 1969, in San Diego, California,^[3] the fifth child of Tiaina Seau, Sr., and Luisa Mauga Seau of Aunu'u, American Samoa. Tiaina Sr.'s grandfather was a village chief in Pago Pago. Tiaina Sr. worked at a rubber factory and was a school custodian, and Luisa worked at the commissary of Camp Pendleton in Southern California and a laundromat.^[4] After Seau was born, the family moved back to American Samoa for several years before returning to San Diego; Seau spoke English only from age seven.^[5] At home, Seau and his three brothers had to sleep in the family's one-car garage.^[4]

Seau attended Oceanside High School, where he lettered in football, basketball, and track and field. As a football player, Seau was a starter at linebacker and tight end, and as a senior, he was named the Avocado League offensive MVP and led the 18-member Oceanside Pirates team to the San Diego 2A championship. Parade selected Seau to its high school All-American team.^[4] In basketball, as a senior, he was named the California Interscholastic Federation San Diego Section Player of the Year.^[5] He helped his team win the 1987 Lt. James Mitchell Tournament and make third place in the Mt. Carmel Invitational.^[6] In track and field, he was the Avocado League champion in the shot put.^[5]

College career[link]

After graduating from high school, Seau attended the University of Southern California (USC). He had to sit out his freshman season because he got only a 690 on his college entrance exam, the SAT, 10 points short of USC's required minimum score for freshman eligibility.

Seau told Sports Illustrated: "I was labeled a dumb jock. I went from being a four-sport star to an ordinary student at USC. I found out who my true friends were. Nobody stuck up for me—not our relatives, best friends or neighbors. There's a lot of jealousy among Samoans, not wanting others to get ahead in life, and my parents got an earful at church: 'We told you he was never going to make it.'" This prompted him to apologize to his coaches, teachers, and principal at Oceanside High.^[4]

He lettered in his final two seasons, 1988 and 1989, posting 19 sacks in 1989 en route to a unanimous first-team All-American selection.^[5]

Professional career[link]

San Diego Chargers[link]

After three years as a Trojan, Seau entered the NFL draft after his junior season and was chosen in the first round of the 1990 NFL Draft by Bobby Beathard's San Diego Chargers as the fifth overall draft selection. Seau quickly became one of the most popular players on the Chargers,^[3] receiving the nickname "Tasmanian Devil", after the wild antics of the cartoon character.^[7] He became the face of the Chargers franchise and a San Diego sports icon.^[1][2]

Seau started 15 of the 16 games he played in during his rookie season, and was named an alternate to the 1991 Pro Bowl after recording 85 tackles. In 1991, he picked up 129 tackles and seven sacks and was named to the 1992 Pro Bowl, the first of 12 consecutive Pro Bowls for Seau. He started no fewer than 13 games for the Chargers over each of the ensuing 11 seasons, registering a career high with 155 tackles in 1994. That year, Seau assisted his team to a championship appearance in Super Bowl XXIX. In one of greatest games in his career, he recorded 16 tackles in the 1994 AFC Championship Game while playing with a pinched nerve in his neck in a 17–13 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.^[8] In 2002, his final year with the Chargers, he logged a then-career low 84 tackles and missed his final Pro Bowl with an ankle injury.

Miami Dolphins[link]

On April 16, 2003, Seau was traded to the Miami Dolphins for a conditional draft choice. He started 15 games that season for the 10–6 Dolphins and was one of their standout defensive players.^[9] However, in 2004, a torn pectoral muscle limited Seau to eight games, 68 tackles, and one sack. He started five of the first seven games he played in with the Dolphins in 2005, but was placed on injured reserve on November 24 with an achilles tendon injury. On March 6, 2006, Seau was released by the Dolphins.

First retirement[link]

Seau announced his retirement at an emotional press conference on August 14, 2006, after signing a one-day contract with the San Diego Chargers. He called it his "graduation", because he was not going to stop working. He contended that he was merely moving on to the next phase of his life.^[10]

New England Patriots[link]

Seau with the Patriots.

Seau returned to football just four days later, signing with the New England Patriots.^[11] He started 10 of the first 11 games for the Patriots, recording 69 tackles before breaking his right arm while making a tackle in a game against the Chicago Bears. He was placed on injured reserve on November 27.

On May 21, 2007, Seau re-signed with the New England Patriots for the 2007 season. In September 2007 Seau was named one of the Patriots' seven captains.^[12] He was a prominent contributor to the Patriots undefeated regular season that year.^[9] He started four of the 16 games he played in for the Patriots in 2007, and then started the Patriots' two playoff games before Super Bowl XLII against the New York Giants. New England's undefeated streak ended with a Super Bowl loss to the Giants.

After the Patriots had a number of injuries late in the 2008 season, they re-signed Seau. He started two of four games he played.^[13] On December 22, 2008, a fan was arrested for trespassing and assault and battery for tackling Seau as he stood on the New England sideline during a home game against the Arizona Cardinals. Seau stated that he did not feel threatened by the fan; he thought that the fan was happy and excited and got carried away.^[14]

On October 7, 2009, NFL Network reported that the New England Patriots had an "agreement in principle" with Seau for a fourth one-year deal; Seau took physicals and worked out with the team.^[15] He officially signed on October 13.^[16] He was active for 7 games for the Patriots in 2009, recording 14 tackles as a reserve linebacker.

Second retirement[link]

Seau announced his intention to retire for a second time on the television program Inside the NFL on January 13, 2010.^[17]

Beyond football[link]

His restaurant in Mission Valley, California—Seau’s The Restaurant, which opened in 1996—was his most successful business venture. Seau also had a clothing line, Say Ow Gear.^[18][19] The restaurant was closed May 16, 2012, just two weeks after his death; the trustees of his estate explained that "Without Seau's charismatic leadership, it was felt that the future profitability of the restaurant could be in question."^[20]

Sports Jobs with Junior Seau premiered on December 2, 2009, on Versus. The show followed Seau as he did the jobs that make sports work. Ten episodes aired through January 27, 2010.

Seau was actively involved with community work through Samoan "sister city" projects within San Diego county.

Junior Seau Foundation[link]

In 1992, Seau created the Junior Seau Foundation with the mission to educate and empower young people through the support of child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol awareness, recreational opportunities, anti-juvenile delinquency efforts and complimentary educational programs.

The 20th Anniversary Junior Seau Celebrity Golf Classic was held March 10–12, 2012, at the world-famous La Costa Resort and Spa.

The Foundation gives out an annual award to the individual who exemplifies the mission statement of the Junior Seau Foundation.

• 2000 — Legend of the Year — Sid Brooks
• 2001 — Legend of the Year — Lance Alworth
• 2002 — Legend of the Year — Sid Gillman
• 2003 — Legend of the Year — Don Coryell
• 2004 — Legend of the Year — Marcus Allen
• 2005 — Legend of the Year — Deacon Jones
• 2006 — Legend of the Year — Bobby Ross
• 2007 — Legend of the Year — Warren Moon
• 2008 — Legend of the Year — Marshall Faulk
• 2009 — Legend of the Year — Charlie Joiner
• 2010 — Legend of the Year — John Lynch
• 2011 — Legend of the Year — Bill Walton

Personal[link]

Seau married Gina Deboer in 1991. The couple had three children together, a daughter and two sons,^[5] before divorcing in 2002.^[4][21][22]

Seau sustained minor injuries in October 2010 when his SUV plunged down a 100-foot cliff hours after he had been arrested for domestic violence following an incident reported to the police by his girlfriend.^[8] Seau maintained he had fallen asleep at the wheel, and was never charged in the domestic incident.^[1]

Seau's nephew, Ian Seau, committed to play at Kansas State,^[23] and another nephew, Micah Seau, committed to play for San Diego State.^[24]

Death[link]

Media and fans at a memorial outside Seau's house the day after his death

On May 2, 2012, Seau's girlfriend found him dead with a gunshot wound to the chest at his home in Oceanside, California. The death was ruled a suicide by the San Diego County medical examiner's office.^[25][26][27] Seau had no prior reported history of concussions,^[25][28] but his ex-wife said he did sustain concussions during his career.^[29] "He always bounced back and kept on playing," Gina Seau said. "He's a warrior. That didn't stop him."^[30] Seau had insomnia for at least the last seven years of his life, and he was taking Ambien, a prescription drug commonly prescribed for sleep disorders.^[31]

His death recalled the 2011 suicide of former NFL player Dave Duerson, who left a note asking his brain be studied for brain trauma.^[32][33] Seau's family considered allowing researchers to study his brain for possible damage^[34][35][36] due to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition traced to concussion-related brain damage with depression as a symptom. Research candidates included the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy of Boston University and the Brain Injury Research Institute.^{[34][37][38][39]} The family did not disclose their final decision.^[31][37][40]

Legacy[link]

Seau was known for his passionate playing style, including a fist-pumping dance he performed after big plays.^[1][2] Rick Gosselin of The Dallas Morning News said Seau "probably was the most dynamic player of his era".^[41] NFL head coach Norv Turner, who coached Seau as well as faced him as an opponent, said, "The No. 1 thing about Junior was that he was such an explosive player he’d defeat one-on-one blocks and he was a great tackler."^[41] Seau's quickness allowed him to freelance, which sometimes put him out of position. "People say he gambled a bit, but in reality, his insight led him to the ball ... Even when he was wrong, you had to account for him and that created problems for offensive coordinators. You’d better have somebody blocking him," said former NFL coach Tom Bass.^[41]

He was praised by teammates for his work ethic and leadership. He would play when hurt, and often refused to leave games.^[2] "He played the game the way it was meant to be played," said retired Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway.^[19] Bill Belichick, his coach at New England, praised Seau’s leadership and willingness to accept any role.^[13]

Seau was inducted into the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame on November 27, 2011, as part of Alumni Day ceremonies at a sold-out game against the Denver Broncos at Qualcomm Stadium. Fellow Chargers Hall of Famer Dan Fouts introduced Seau before a crowd of nearly 71,000.^[42]

Chargers President Dean Spanos honored Seau after his death as "...An icon in our community. He transcended the game. He wasn’t just a football player, he was so much more."^[18] The Chargers retired his No. 55 during his public memorial.^[43]

On Wednesday, May 16, 2012, the city council of Oceanside, CA voted to name the city's beach community center and pier amphitheater after Seau^[44]

See also[link]

	Biography portal
	National Football League portal

• List of suicides

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from NFL.com • Pro-Football-Reference
• Junior Seau Foundation
• New England Patriots bio

Lane Kiffin
Kiffin coaching quarterback Matt Barkley during a game
Sport(s)	Football
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	USC
Conference	Pac-12
Record	18–7
Annual salary	$4,005,000[1]
Biographical details
Born	(1975-05-09) May 9, 1975 (age 37) Bloomington, Minnesota, U.S.
Playing career
1994–1996	Fresno State
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1997–1998 1999 2000 2001–2006 2007–2008 2009 2010–present	Fresno State (assistant) Colorado State (OL) Jacksonville Jaguars (assistant) USC (WR/OC) Oakland Raiders Tennessee USC
Head coaching record
Overall	25–13 (college) 5–15 (NFL)
Bowls	0–1
Statistics College Football Data Warehouse

Lane Monte Kiffin (born May 9, 1975) is the current head coach of the University of Southern California Trojans college football team.^[2] He previously served as offensive coordinator for the USC Trojans from 2005-2006, head coach of the NFL's Oakland Raiders from 2007-2008, and head coach of the Tennessee Volunteers in 2009. Kiffin was the youngest head coach in NFL history when he was with the Raiders, and is currently the youngest head coach of a BCS Conference team in college football.^[3][4] He is the son of longtime NFL defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, who is the assistant head coach for USC.^[5]

Coaching career[link]

Early positions[link]

Kiffin also worked as a Graduate Assistant for one year at Colorado State University. In 1999, while he was working with the offensive line, the Rams played in the Liberty Bowl that season. Kiffin secured a job with the Jacksonville Jaguars^{[citation needed]} as a quality control assistant for one year. He was then hired by Pete Carroll as a tight ends coach at USC.

USC Trojans Assistant Coach[link]

Kiffin joined the University of Southern California (USC) staff in 2001 and became the wide receivers coach in 2002. In 2004, he added the duties of passing game coordinator and was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2005. Kiffin also took the reins as recruiting coordinator that year, after offensive coordinator Norm Chow left USC for the same position with the NFL's Tennessee Titans. Along with these duties, Kiffin continued as the wide receivers coach.

During Kiffin's tenure with USC, he was instrumental in the development of several wide receivers and tight ends in the program. While he was there, USC produced noted talents such as NFL draftees Mike Williams, Keary Colbert, Kareem Kelly, Alex Holmes and Dominique Byrd. In addition, Steve Smith and Dwayne Jarrett of the 2006 USC Trojans football team were both selected in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft by the New York Giants and the Carolina Panthers, respectively. Patrick Turner, Fred Davis and several other young new recruits such as Vidal Hazelton, Travon Patterson and Jamere Holland seem likely to continue the trend of excellence at this position. Holland transferred to the University of Oregon in 2006 and was kicked off the Ducks team for making racist remarks . Notably, Lane Kiffin also helped amass the number-one recruiting class in the nation, the past several years (as evaluated by organizations such as Scout.com and Rivals.com).

In 2005, USC head coach Pete Carroll selected Kiffin to replace Norm Chow as offensive coordinator. Despite being new to the role, Lane Kiffin helped guide USC to a 23–3 win-loss record during his tenure- an 88% win percentage (However, in June 2010 the NCAA retroactively declared Reggie Bush ineligible for the entire 2005 season, and forced USC to vacate all of their 2005 wins). During the previous four years under Norm Chow's play calling, the Trojans achieved 41 wins and 9 losses (82%). Under Kiffin in 2005 the USC offense produced school records in virtually every dimension, averaging 49.1 points and 579 yards per game. USC’s potent offense that season became the first in NCAA history to have a 3,000 yard passer (Matt Leinart), two 1,000 yard rushers (Reggie Bush and LenDale White), and a 1,000 yard receiver (Dwayne Jarrett). Steve Smith fell a few yards short of also surpassing 1,000 yards in receiving. With an all new offensive cast at the skill positions and in what was generally viewed as a rebuilding year for USC the offensive totals fell off to 30.5 point, and 391 yards per game, and 11 wins overall, he was promoted to offensive and recruiting coordinator while continuing as the wide receivers coach. In Kiffin’s three years as recruiting coordinator at USC, the Trojans had the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in college football every year. Under Kiffin leadership in 2006, the Trojans finished first in the Pac-10 in passing efficiency by averaging 142.8 yards per game, produced two, 1,000-yard receivers – Dwayne Jarrett (1,105) and Steve Smith (1,083) – and a 3,000-yard passer John David Booty, with 3,347 yards. Injuries affected the team all year as three fullbacks went down to major injury by the third game of the year, several freshman running backs rotated as starting tailback, and wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett missed parts of the mid-season due to injury. Despite these losses and key injuries the team produced top 20 statistics in most NCAA offensive categories and concluded with a 32–18 win over the then #3 ranked team the University of Michigan in the Rose Bowl.

Oakland Raiders[link]

Raiders' owner Al Davis hired Kiffin on January 23, 2007, making him the youngest head coach in Raiders history, and the youngest head coach in the NFL's "modern era" (i.e. since 1946), and signed Kiffin to a two-year deal worth about $4 million with a team option for 2009.^[3] Pro Football Hall of Fame Coach John Madden was 32 when he was elevated to the head post by Davis in 1969. Davis has been known to select young, up-and-coming coaches in their thirties; those hires who fared well include John Madden, Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden. All have won Super Bowls, though Madden is the only one of the three to win a championship with the Raiders.

Age 31 at the time of his hiring by the Raiders (32 when he coached his first game), Kiffin became the youngest head coach in National Football League history; he also surpassed the New York Jets' Eric Mangini and the Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin as the youngest head coach since the AFL–NFL merger in 1970.

On August 12, 2007, in his NFL head coaching debut, Kiffin and the Raiders won their preseason opener 27–23 over the Arizona Cardinals.

Kiffin vehemently opposed the selection of JaMarcus Russell. The reasons for this were never made clear, though in 2010 Bleacher Report Raiders correspondent Jeremy Baril suggested that Kiffin didn't like Russell's work ethic.^[6] As it turned out, Russell held out until September 12, and didn't make his first start until December 2, long after the season was effectively over.

Kiffin recorded his first regular season win as an NFL head coach on September 23, 2007; the Raiders defeated the Cleveland Browns 26–24 when defensive lineman Tommy Kelly blocked a late Cleveland field goal.

At his end-of-the-season press conference, Kiffin told the media and his players that he had many plans and changes he was going to make in the 2008 offseason. When asked by his players about rumors that Kiffin was interested in open coaching positions in college football, he told them he never thought the rumors were important enough to address because he was never planning to leave.^[7]

Departure from the Raiders[link]

On January 25, 2008, it was reported by ESPN's Chris Mortensen that Davis, who was not known for being patient with his coaches, tried to force Kiffin to resign after his first season ended with a 4-12 record. A source allegedly close to Kiffin told Mortensen that Kiffin would not resign, and would not sign the letter of resignation which would cause him to forfeit his $2 million salary for the remaining guaranteed year of his contract.^[8] However, the Raiders denied the story, while Kiffin refused to comment.^[9]

On September 15, 2008 NBC Sports reported Davis was unhappy with Kiffin, and intended to fire him as soon as the following Monday or Tuesday. On September 30, 2008, Davis fired Kiffin over the telephone.^[10] At the televised news conference announcing the firing, Davis called Kiffin "a flat-out liar" and said he was guilty of "bringing disgrace to the organization". The Raiders said the move was made for cause, meaning they would terminate his contract immediately without paying the $2.6 million that was left on it for 2008. Kiffin later added in an interview with ESPN that he was not proud to be associated with Davis's accusations and was actually more embarrassed for Davis than himself.^[11] The Raiders subsequently released a letter Davis sent to Kiffin on September 12 which warned him that he was on the verge of being fired for "conduct detrimental to the Raiders," including repeated instances of making excuses and outright lies.^[12] Kiffin's post-firing press conference was cancelled. Kiffin filed a grievance against the Raiders, claiming that he was fired without cause,^[13] but on November 15, 2010, an arbitrator ruled that Davis did indeed have cause to fire Kiffin.^[14] Kiffin's short tenure as the Raiders' head coach ended with a 5–15 record. Offensive line coach Tom Cable was given interim head coaching duties for the remainder of the 2008 season and was later made their permanent head coach on February 4, 2009.

Several of his former Raider staff expressed interest as Kiffin began assembling his new staff at Tennessee. On December 15, 2008, Raiders Head Coach Tom Cable lashed out at Kiffin for hiring one of his assistants, James Cregg, with two weeks remaining in the NFL season. Cable called the timing of Cregg's departure "wrong in the business of coaching" and indicated he had lost respect for Kiffin and planned to confront him about it. Nothing further was said publicly regarding the incident.^[15]

Despite the animosity between the Raiders and Kiffin, he released a statement following Al Davis' death in October 2011 stating that although their relationship had not ended well, he appreciated the opportunity Davis had given him and had "nothing but the greatest respect" for the late Raiders owner. ^[16]

Tennessee Volunteers[link]

On November 28, 2008, multiple media outlets reported that Lane Kiffin would be the next head football coach for the University of Tennessee Volunteers in 2009, replacing ousted head coach Phillip Fulmer.^[17][18] UT formally introduced Kiffin as the school's 21st head football coach on December 1, 2008 in a 2:00 p.m. news conference.^[19]

Kiffin, 33, was hired by Tennessee and became the youngest active head coach in Division I FBS, surpassing Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald.^[20]

Kiffin signed a memorandum of understanding with the University of Tennessee on November 30, 2008. The deal included $2 million in 2009, with additional performance bonuses, including a $300,000 bonus if UT competes for the national championship. His salary was set to increase over the six-year-deal, reaching a high of $2.75 million in 2014. The average salary of the deal was $2.375 million. If Kiffin had been fired in 2009 or 2010, the school would have to pay him $7.5 million under a buyout clause; after the 2012 season, the buyout clause decreased to $5 million.^[21] Kiffin's contract stated that if he resigned, he would have to pay UT $1 million in 2009, with the sum decreasing by $200,000 each year of his contract.^[22]

Kiffin led the Vols to a 7-6 record in 2009, an improvement from their 5-7 record in 2008. The Vols increased their offensive output by more than 60 percent in 2009 with Kiffin calling the offensive plays.^[23] Highlights included wins over South Carolina, Georgia and Kentucky. However the season was marred by losses to UCLA, Florida, Auburn, Alabama, and Ole Miss, as well as a 23 point blow-out loss to Virginia Tech in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. After one season as coach, Kiffin left the Vols during the 2010 recruiting season to accept the head coaching job at the University of Southern California.

Remarks and accusations[link]

On February 5, 2009, Kiffin accused Urban Meyer, the former head coach of the Florida Gators, of violating NCAA recruiting rules while at a Tennessee booster breakfast at the Knoxville Convention Center.^[24]

While Kiffin accused Meyer of violating NCAA rules, he incidentally violated a Southeastern Conference rule that prevented coaches from mentioning a recruit by name, and his accusations against Meyer were mistaken.^[24] Southeastern Conference commissioner Mike Slive issued a public reprimand to Kiffin due to the comment.^[25] In addition to the public reprimand by Slive, Florida Athletic Director Jeremy Foley issued a statement demanding a public apology from Kiffin.^[26] Kiffin issued a public apology one day after making the comment. In a statement released by the University of Tennessee, Kiffin wrote, "In my enthusiasm for our recruiting class, I made some statements that were meant solely to excite those at the breakfast. If I offended anyone at the University of Florida, including Mr. Foley and Urban Meyer, I sincerely apologize. That was not my intention."^[27]

Departure from Tennessee[link]

Kiffin's departure for USC in 2010 after just one season as head coach of the Volunteers upset some students and fans of the University of Tennessee. Hundreds of students rioted on campus at the news of Kiffin's departure.^[28] Knoxville police and fire department were brought in after students blocked the exit from the Neyland Thompson Sports Center and started several small fires.^[29]

USC Trojans[link]

Kiffin on the sideline, 2011.

On January 12, 2010, Kiffin returned to USC to become the Trojans head coach. This came following Pete Carroll's departure from USC to become the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.^[30]

In June 2010, after a prolonged four-year investigation into whether former USC running back Reggie Bush and his family had accepted financial benefits and housing from two wannabee sports agents in San Diego while he was a student athlete at USC, the NCAA imposed sanctions against the Trojan football program for a "lack of institutional control," including a two-year postseason ban, the loss of 30 scholarships over three years, and the vacation of all wins in which Bush participated as an "ineligible" player, including the 2005 Orange Bowl, in which the Trojans won the BCS National Championship.^[31] These sanctions have been criticized by some NCAA football writers,^{[32][33][34][35][36]} including ESPN’s Ted Miller, who wrote, “It's become an accepted fact among informed college football observers that the NCAA sanctions against USC were a travesty of justice, and the NCAA’s refusal to revisit that travesty are a massive act of cowardice on the part of the organization.”^[37]

2010 season[link]

In 2010, his first season at USC, Kiffin's Trojans team finished the season 8-5 but were ineligible for post-season play due to the NCAA sanctions. After the NCAA issued a guideline allowing current USC juniors and seniors to automatically transfer from USC without having to sit out a year, several USC players left before the start of the 2010 season, including Malik Jackson and Byron Moore to Tennessee, Travon Patterson to Colorado, D.J. Shoemate to Connecticut, Uona Kaveinga to Utah, and Blake Ayles to Miami, among others.^[38] Seantrel Henderson, who had signed a letter of intent to USC, was granted a release by Kiffin and immediately enrolled at Miami. Both Kiffin and former head coach Pete Carroll publicly referred to this NCAA-transfer exception as "free agency" because it allowed current USC players to be targeted for transfer opportunities and granted them immediate eligibility at their transfer destination.^[39] USC played the 2010 season with just 71 scholarship players, some of whom were redshirt candidates who did not play, instead of the normal NCAA allowance of 85 scholarship players.

Season highlights included a 48-14 win over the California Golden Bears in which Matt Barkley tied the USC record for touchdown passes in a game by completing five in just the first half to put the Trojans up 42-0 at halftime.^[40] After losing to rival Notre Dame for the first time in eight years, USC bounced back to close their season with a win over cross-town rival UCLA to retain the Victory Bell. Quarterback Matt Barkley returned after missing the previous week and threw one of the team's two touchdown passes. Allen Bradford led the Trojans by gaining 212 yards rushing and catching a 47-yard touchdown pass.^[41]

2011 season[link]

In 2011, Kiffin coached the Trojans to a 10-2 record (7-2 in the Pac-12), despite being ineligible for post-season play for the second-consecutive season. On May 26, 2011, the NCAA's Appeals Committee upheld the sanctions against USC, after ruling that the use of precedent was not allowed under NCAA Bylaws, so the USC football team could not participate in the Pacific-12 Football Championship Game (although they held the best record in the South division) or play in a bowl game during the 2011–12 season.^[42] The BCS announced June 6, 2011, that it had stripped USC of the 2004 title,^[43] though USC still retains the 2003 and 2004 AP National Championships.^[43]

Season highlights included road wins against the California Golden Bears, Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and Oregon Ducks.^[44] Kiffin's Trojans lost in triple overtime to the Stanford Cardinal, who were led by Andrew Luck, but they bounced back by winning their last four games and defeating the UCLA Bruins 50-0 at the Coliseum, which extended the Trojans victory streak against the Bruins to five.

USC ended the season with two thousand-yard receivers (Robert Woods and Marqise Lee), a thousand-yard rusher (Curtis McNeal), and a 3,000-yard passer (Matt Barkley) for the first time since the 2005 season, when Kiffin served as offensive coordinator.

2012 season[link]

2012 will be the first year USC has been eligible for post-season play under Kiffin, since the NCAA sanctions were announced following the 2009 season and his hiring as head coach. With Kiffin and his family in attendance, USC quarterback Matt Barkley announced on December 22, 2011 that he would be returning to USC for his senior season because "this 2012 team has some serious unfinished business to attend to."^[45]

Family and Personal Life[link]

Kiffin is the son of Monte Kiffin, a long time defensive coordinator in the National Football League, most notably since 1996 for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who now serves as the defensive coordinator on Lane's staff at USC.^[30]

In 1994 Kiffin graduated from Bloomington Jefferson High School in Minnesota^[46] and committed to Fresno State University. He played backup quarterback for the Fresno State Bulldogs and gave up his senior season to become a Student Assistant Coach at Fresno State, where his position coach was current University of California Head Coach Jeff Tedford. He gradated from Fresno State in 1998 where in addition to football, he played basketball and baseball.

Lane and his wife Layla, who is a University of Florida alumna, have two daughters named Landry and Pressley. On January 13, 2009, Layla gave birth to their first son, Monte Knox Kiffin. He named his son Knox after Knoxville, Tennessee, in honor of the University where he served as head coach.^[47] Kiffin's brother, Chris, was a defensive lineman at Colorado State University and is the current defensive line coach for Ole Miss ^[48] Kiffin's father-in-law, John Reaves, is a former NFL quarterback who played his college football for the Florida Gators.

Head coaching record[link]

NFL[link]