Top 10 Dumbest College Football Coaching Hires in the Last 10 Years
Sep 28, 2013; Tempe, AZ, USA; USC Trojans head coach Lane Kiffin reacts during the first half against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
That was a dumb thought process by then-A.D. Mike Garrett. But to be fair, this hire is not going to be as high on the dumb list as others because of what Kiffin walked into.
Make no mistake, it was a bad hire, and Steve Sarkisian was better for the job. But Kiffin did have one 10-2 season there, and he was dealing with a program that got hit with probation and no depth due to the loss of scholarships.
As a result, injuries caused a massively disappointing 2012 season and start to 2013. Had he inherited the program in better shape, he probably could have succeeded.
Kiffin is only on this list because, in the end, he did not succeed, and he did not have the qualifications to be hired at a school like USC in the first place.
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7
Lane Kiffin
2010-2013, USC Trojans
Based on his qualifications and many people among the USC faithful, Lane Kiffin should be much higher on their list. And they have a point.
Kiffin was hired after one 7-6 record with the Tennessee Volunteers based on all the undeserved hype he generated that one year there. However, the staff he appeared to have with him and the trajectory of the program at Tennessee at the time made it seem like he would be able to do that quicker if he went home to USC.
That was a dumb thought process by then-A.D. Mike Garrett. But to be fair, this hire is not going to be as high on the dumb list as others because of what Kiffin walked into.
Make no mistake, it was a bad hire, and Steve Sarkisian was better for the job. But Kiffin did have one 10-2 season there, and he was dealing with a program that got hit with probation and no depth due to the loss of scholarships.
As a result, injuries caused a massively disappointing 2012 season and start to 2013. Had he inherited the program in better shape, he probably could have succeeded.
Kiffin is only on this list because, in the end, he did not succeed, and he did not have the qualifications to be hired at a school like USC in the first place.
Next: #6: Tim Brewster