Lane Kiffin Fired From USC
Lane Kiffin is out as USC football coach.
Perhaps nothing captures the frustration of USC football, from the coaching staff, players and fans than one play in the third quarter Saturday night against Arizona State.
Trailing by 20 and facing fourth-and-2 from USC’s own 41-yard line, the call was to run a play out of the Wildcat formation. OK, not too crazy, because 2 yards could be easily picked up on the ground. Nope, it was a running back pass.
Tre Maddon’s pass was intercepted, USC’s chances of a comeback were kaput and Lane Kiffin’s USC career was cut short after the game. The school announced Sunday morning that Kiffin had been terminated as coach of the Trojans.
USC athletic director Pat Haden will hold a press conference Sunday afternoon to announce the move.
The 62-41 loss to Arizona State was USC’s seventh loss in 11 games. After the Trojans meekly lost 10-7 at home to Washington State earlier in the year, USC fans started a “Fire Kiffin” chant that echoed through Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the final minutes of the game.
Kiffin finishes his three-plus year USC tenure with a 28-15 record. He left for USC after a one year stint as coach at Tennessee. After last season’s 7-6 Sun Bowl season, his father, Monte Kiffin, was relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator. He’s now back in the NFL for the 2-1 Dallas Cowboys.