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Over the last 20 years, the Raiders have cycled through a lot of coaches and made some surprising hires. Perhaps the most surprising hire the team made was Lan Kiffin back in 2007. The 31-year-old USC assistant, when hired, only lasted 20 games with the team before getting let go and has bounced around the college ranks quite a bit since. He’s currently the head coach at Ole Miss and led the Rebels to a solid 10-3 record in the SEC this season.
It’s been a long time coming but Kiffin could finally be garnering interest in the NFL again. According to Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus, the Minnesota Vikings are considering the former Raiders head coach for their head coaching job.
The team just recently moved on from long-time head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman so anything is on the table. Kiffin would certainly qualify as an “outside the box candidate” as Spielberger noted. He only went 5-15 with the Raiders but that was 15 years ago. It’s safe to say that he’s learned a lot over the years. College coaches haven’t had the best success in the NFL but Kiffin does have experience in the pros. Perhaps it’s the right time to give him another chance.
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Kiffin Has Been Prone to Controversy
Whether it’s all been his fault or not, controversy seems to follow Kiffin. Late Raiders owner Al Davis fired the coach over an explosive press conference where he referred to him as a “flat-out liar.” He also drew the ire of former Raiders interim head coach Tom Cable for hiring one of his assistants before the season ended.
Kiffin also stirred controversy when he accused former Florida football coach Urban Meyer of violating NCAA rules during his stint at Tennessee and eventually had to apologize. There’s been a long list of things he’s done to upset people but there’s no doubt he can coach. He rehabilitated his image as the offensive coordinator for Alabama and is doing a solid job at Ole Miss.
Would Kiffin Want to Return to NFL?
When the Raiders hired Kiffin, he was only 31-years-old. He was the youngest head coach ever before the Los Angeles Rams hired a 30-year-old Sean McVay in 2017. The Raiders were a struggling franchise when Kiffin took over and struggled for years after he left. His time in Oakland likely left a bad taste in his mouth, which is why he’s avoided the NFL since.
It’s been a long time since that iconic Davis press conference so perhaps Kiffin is getting the itch to try his hand at the pro level again. He’s a sound offensive mind and his quarterback at Ole Miss, Matt Corral, could be a first-round pick in this year’s draft. If the Vikings are targeting Corral to replace Kirk Cousins, then Kiffin makes a lot of sense. With college coaches not having a ton of success in the NFL, Minnesota should be careful before going after Kiffin but sometimes the unexpected hire is the best move.
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