Idk if a lot of yall realize but Applewhite has been the play caller this whole time. It's the same offense, any changes will only be because of personnel, mostly at QB.
Nice hire.... by name, at least. UH is on the rise and getting more respect. Hope he does GREAT!!! Spoiler His foot is already half out of the door. Just being honest.
Pretty sure Kiffin still likes to call his own plays, and his offensive output has generally shown marked increases in output wherever he went, so will be interesting to see what he does. Herman let all control go on offense and I'd say it worked well. I don't mind either way. Although it seems like our red zone running game is in need of an infusion of power. I would imagine that Herman wants his guys, and so would Kiffen given his connections, but if we can hold Orlando and Applewhite that would be solid too.
In short, he left Tennessee abruptly after just 1 season. His early enrolees had just reported to campus a few days before and Orgeron told them not to attend class so they could decommit and enroll at USC. Also committed a bunch of recruiting violations there before he left.
TF on ABC13: How close? We're real close. We interviewed 5 fantastic candidates and will make a decision soon. Disappointing when someone puts out this is who the hire is & just not true at the time. ... Nobody will push us before we want to make it. We'll make the right decision. Overwhelming leader? 100% still evaluating. He's in consideration but we have not made a decision. More interviews? We are discussing what we want to do. We're taking all the information in. This decision was harder than I thought. We interviewed 5 candidates and anyone one of them could do UH a good job. Candidates OK with the huge buyout? They're gonna have to be or they won't be our coach. I think I've made that clear. These contracts gotta stop being one way. ... You cannot let them leave after 1-2 years. I'm a business guy & didn't make sense to me. That's why I've gone at it this way. Whoever's our coach, we hope he's with us for many years & hope he wins for many years.
_______ Duarte: TF said he's still comfortable saying a decision will be made by this weekend. "In the final inning." Meeting tonight (TF, HY, RK & other members of the search committee) I asked him specifically about Kiffin. They interviewed him twice. Don't know about others but Kiffin twice. He really likes Lane but no offer has been made. Kiffin, Miles, Orlando, Applewhite; Riley no longer in the running The in-house candidates are receiving support. Fedora - at no point interviewed or offered. One of these four will be the next coach. Holgorsen - there was interest on both sides but that ship sailed. Other than Riley, been told nobody has been ruled out. The buyout has not been an issue with any candidate. If it's an issue, that coach won't be here. It's common knowledge. Houston won't be doing this in another 2 years. TDECU club level is set for a press conference. Not being told there's a decision tonight. 48 hours? If Saturday, PC on Monday. If tonight, which I think is very unlikely, could have Friday PC. Nobody has talked about money. Below $3M in house. Over $3M for other two. Meeting tonight. All the big wigs will talk & go over each candidate. Kiffin has been at a P5 school. How quickly does he use it to move on? Does Les do a 5-year contract and that's it? Need assurances on OC. Buyout not an issue with in-house candidates.
The fact that Lane Kiffin and Les Miles are even interested in this job is amazing to me. Shows how far we've come.
Kiffin just seems like an odd choice for a school that is tired of their coaches leaving considering what he did at Tennessee. If he's successful, he WILL leave. I guess you can say that about any coach, but it's almost a guarantee with Kiffin.
