Before the passing of Teddy Pendergrass and the disturbingly painful earthquake which struck Haiti, Lane Kiffin’s return to USC was to be the biggest news for awhile. At least in my world. I was under the assumption Pete Carroll’s departure and Lane’s second stint in SoCal were all apart of some secret USC bond.
Realistically, the move makes sense. He’s always loved California and he wanted to return there. The marketability of a program like USC as is night and day to Tennessee’s. Kiffin’s been known as a great recruiter and what better place to utilize those skills than Southern Cal? As much as Volunteer Nation is upset right now (and rightfully so), business is business and it was the best move for Kiffin’s career.
But just think, when the decision was finally made to bring Lane back to La La Land, how many players do you think recited this one line to each other?
Smoke weed, talk shit like Lane Kiffin…”
For the past decade, The Men of Troy have been defined by their vibrant, upbeat and “hip” coach. In a sense, they still are. The one glaring trait which always allowed USC to stand out was its ability to recruit nationwide, a long-time strength of Kiffin’s. Now, he has the option to say he knows Lil’ Wayne when he travels to meet with a top rated quarterback, running back, linebacker, whatever. That’s always a nice card to have in the back pocket. They’ll never admit it, but I’m sure this crossed the minds of the higher ups at USC. Maybe not at an official meeting or dinner, but maybe something as simple as an elevator ride or text message.
So let’s say Kiffin ultimately resides at USC for the next 10-12 years. During this span, the alma mater of O.J. Simpson amasses two national championships and eight Pac-10 titles. Add two Heisman trophy winners for good measure. He retires in the year 2022 with a celebrated career. Judging from Kiffin’s past and his personality, there’s about 75% chance he’ll thank Weezy for “helping” him land his dream job. Even if he was .0000000001% of the reason.
It’s not that far-fetched. He’s already tweeted so in the past.
Related: “Lil Wayne Explains College Football Coach Shout-Out On Mixtape Track” [The Boombox]