KIFFIN DOUSED WITH PETROS, SET AFIRE: In case you’re really wondering how USC football players, coaches and adminstration are feeling about Lane Kiffin’s departure from USC, look no further than former USC football captain Petros Papadakis.
 |
The gregarious Greek is now a celebrated media figure in SoCal, partly because of his (sometimes caustic) candor about the Trojans.
Papadakis can now be heard afternoons on KLAC-AM in L.A., after a productive run as midday host at KMPC-AM. He’s also the main color man on FSN college football broadcasts and you might recognize him as the host of Spike TV’s “Pros vs. Joes” reality series.
In the past, Papadakis has made it clear that Kiffin was the weak link the Trojan coaching chain, and based on his comments about the new Raiders head coach, his opinion hasn’t changed.
Papadakis on KLAC-AM yesterday: “Hiring Lane Kiffin is not fair to the players and fans of the Oakland Raiders. It’s a desperate hire by a desperate man, Al Davis.
“Comparing Kiffin to John Gruden is ridiculous, Gruden had eight years of legitimate coaching experience in the NFL, and had been interviewing for head coaching jobs in the league when he was hired by the Raiders.
“What’s his (Kiffin’s) most significant NFL experience to draw from? One year of a defensive gofership seven years ago with the Jacksonville Jaguars.”
“I know him personally and he doesn’t command a lot of respect from the players or other coaches. I never looked at him as head coach material or even offensive coordinator material. He couldn’t even manage players at USC, how can he manage players in NFL?
“Watching him call the plays for the offense of the 2005 team, with Leinart, Bush, and Lendale White was like watching a little kid trying to drive a Ferrari.
“He was coaching at USC because of Pete Carroll, who was mentored by his father, (longtime NFL assistant coach) Monte Kiffin. So Carroll basically parented Lane at USC.
“Coaching the Raiders isnt going to be an uphill battle for Kiffin, it’s an up-cliff battle.“
