Per Dr. Saturday, Lane Kiffin pulled the scholarship of Kylie Fitts, a four-star DE in the recruiting class of 2013 who was scheduled to enroll early last week. Evidently he gave the kid three days' notice. Classy move.
I know there has been lots of stink made about coaches withdrawing scholarships that were promised, but has anyone heard of one revoked so close to the enrollment date?
Douche
I think anybody with a platform
that has the ability to influence change should be making a big deal of incidents like this.
Essentially, im pointing to college football writers at major media outlets. Start hammering these instances of coaches making unethical decisions. Make a big stink about it until people start noticing.
And I would really enjoy a recruit coming out and saying that he didn't commit to a school because of some situation that happened in the past and that he couldn't trust a coach. Give them some bad PR.
It confounds me how the transgressions of Saban, Miles and Kiffin (and others im sure) continue to get swept under the rug and forgotten.
They can't
Those with the ability to influence change are too busy bitching about and scapegoating individuals for the PED era.
Lane Kiffin is a douche. And
Lane Kiffin is a douche. And he doesn't win.
Nothing worse than a douchey loser.
2011 Nebraska State Champ "We're Michigan." @tannerwooten not that funny, though.
He'll get what's coming to
He'll get what's coming to him and the whole country will be there to applaud.
Bears Beets Battlestar Galactica
Classless move...
But let's not act like this should take the kid by surprise. It's Lane Kiffin, fergodsakes. Do a Google search, kid, and see what you're getting yourself into. Can't say I feel sorry for kids who commit to schools with shady coaches. Everyone knows it and they choose to accept that.
On the one hand, it is easy to feel bad for the athlete.
On the other hand, if the athletes are qualified to attend that university, they (and the adults around them) should be able to understand who they are dealing with in this day and age.
I'm not trying to defend Kiffen at all, but how do people make these decisions?
I'm betting that 10 seconds of searching would present enough material for me to really look at the man who will hold my future in his hands.
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
That is my exact argurment
for oversigning. In this day and age, google oversigning college football and you get this, yet everyone wants to go to SEC schools.
http://oversigning.com/testing/index.php/the-oversigning-cup/
"They're stuck with that quarterback (sophomore Braxton Miller) for the next two or three years, that's fine with me. He throws worse than (Tim) Tebow. - Steve Everitt
The fact that it's Kiffin
The fact that it's Kiffin doesn't diminish my sympathy for the kid. He could have committed to USC for reasons that have nothing to do with Kiffin (academics, location, etc). Kiffin also probably sweet-talked and manipulated the kid, and it's hard to blame the victim for that when he's 16 or 17 years old.
You also need to understand
You also need to understand that a 17/18 year old kid is a pretty easy manipulation target. There's a reason Kiffin is still a coach at a major program, he obviously knows how to deflect attention from his more shady activities ("Hey kid. You read what online? Well, let me tell you first hand what happened and how the media is distrorting it to make a story"). Not to mention most kids are more recruited by assistant coaches, who may actually be clean guys at USC.
This kid also seemed to committ more to USC than Lane Kiffin. He grew up dreaming of playing for USC, being part of the tradition. Probably figured it didn't matter who the coach was, he just wanted to be there. So if there's anyone that I can feel sorry for it would be a kid who's faith in a school he grew up loving was ruined because he decided to trust what the coaching staff told him rather than what came up after googling his name.
Not so fast...
"The Trojans didn't pull his scholarship entirely, but deferred him to the fall. However, since Fitts had already graduated high school, he had nowhere to go and didn't want to wait."
Not defending Kiffin, but your title doesn't quite nail it on the head. Now he has to sit around and do nothing for 6 months. I can think of worse things :P
I don't think there's any
I don't think there's any need to try and mitigate Kiffin's behavior. The kid worked hard for what he wanted, only to learn Kiffin's word means nothing at all. And I think a guy who doesn't want to sit around doing nothing for six months deserves some respect.
"We've beaten Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?"
- Mark Dantonio
Blogging the Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com/<
I agree that Kiffin sucks.
We're all on the same page - Kiffin's behavior here is unacceptable. I just came into this topic thinking that he completely pulled the scholarship from an EE, which would be so much worse than what actually happened.
True
True - I missed that part. But still, Kiffin promised something (a spot at USC in January 2013) and went back on his word. It's much tougher to compete for playing time if you arrive on campus as a freshman 3 weeks before the season starts.
He pulled the carpet from
He pulled the carpet from under the kid's feet once. What makes you think he won't do it again?
Exactly, why would you defer
Exactly, why would you defer the scholarship if you were sure you were giving it to the player in the fall? The only thing this move is saying is that Kiffin isn't sure he wants the kid after all.
That happens from time to time in recruiting--Michigan has cooled on a few comitted players and encouraged them to explore other options, but to pull the scholarship three days before he's coming to campus is ridiculous, and very Kiffin-like.
Aren't they only allowed 3 EE
Aren't they only allowed 3 EE scolarships each year?
Probably has something to do with that then.
If that's the case, and they are full on the backdated scholarships, there would be no reason at all to think pulling his scolarship as an EE would mean they are going to pull his scholarship come fall.
They can only count 3, there
They can only count 3, there is no limit to how many can enroll early. The rest just count towards the current class. There is no scholarship number problem that would make this ok. Michigan had 6 EE, 3 count towards last years class and the other 3 count towards this years class.
not sure where three is a limit
UGA is trying to get 17 EEs in, with 10 of them backdated to 2012.
Also, there is a very good reason to think USC might pull his scholarship altogether. It's the same one they used to pull his EE, they found someone that wanted more.
Eating is murder.
For a HS student? i
For a HS student? i can't...
Touchdown Michigan!
Still a douche
Still a douche
Lane could have told LM3 if
Lane could have told LM3 if USC was where he really wanted to be, that he could have waited until June as well though, right? LM3 pledging to USC is why this happened. So although the kid didn't techinally have his scholarship pulled, it was still has slimeball tendencies. Who is to say he wouldn't completely pull it on signing day if they get in on someone else and need room? He already has jerked with the kid once. I wouldn't trust the situation either.
^^ Agree
First thing I thought of when I saw the headline was... so that's how they got room for LM3 to enroll early.
Third generation Michigan alum
Semantically you are
Semantically you are correct.
However, you assume it is a given that after "deferring" the recruit once Kiffin would most certainly honor his word in the fall.
Why would you assume that? Making that assumption would be very unwise, I would say.
Come February, the kid is really screwed if Kiffin screws him over a second time.
Give it to Wheatley!
Early Signing Period
Best argument for an early signing period is this situation, and kids enrolling early more and more. A school should be committed to a kid at least some period before he enrolls. This doesn't work if signing day isn't until February.
"I have a dream that someday Michigan will not have freshmen on the field. That day is 2013 at the earliest." - Brian, Defense vs MSU UFR 2011
He was deferred to the fall
He was deferred to the fall because USCs APR is pathetically low. They were hoping that a player was going to graduate early and when that player didn't they gambled on postponing Fitts because he was a lifelong USC fan. They were wrong and he decommitted.
There is always lots more to the story.
Sure there's more to the
Sure there's more to the story....none of which makes Kiffin look any better. Still a dick who decided not to be up front about anything.
"We've beaten Michigan the last four years. So where's the threat?"
- Mark Dantonio
Blogging the Virginia Cavaliers at http://fromoldvirginia.blogspot.com/<
Call it a blessing in
Call it a blessing in disguise. When the kid gets to USC he will be held to all practice and conditioning regulations, plus will be required to study and complete his academic requirements. He gets six months of no restrictions on how much he works out, plus minimal other responsibilities. If I were him I would lift, run, repeat. When he gets to campus for summer camp he could be the most physically fit of the incoming freshmen.
Still a douche move though.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but
Correct me if I'm wrong, but practice and conditioning regulations only apply to organized team activities, right? It's not a violation if a college kid wants to work out on his own for 10 hours a day.
You're correct. He can work
You're correct. He can work out the NCAA limit and if he wants to work out a ton more on his own time, there's no way the NCAA can restrict that. But when you've got a practice schedule and an academic schedule, along with eating and sleeping, there won't be a ton of time for more workouts.
Hell yeah, that should do the trick.
Hoke should start doing this. Imagine how fit all of our athletes could be. Hell, we might even be able to save money on the S&C staff since they won't have as many athletes to worry about.
In fact, since working out on their own is so beneficial, do we really need a S&C staff. I am sending this suggestion off to DB tout suite!
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
You're missing a big hit, there
Part of the reason any kid enrolls early is so they can get involved with spring ball and have a head start on the competition come fall. It's the halmark of a kid who wants to play so badly they could burst.
USC had agreed to give this kid that opportunity.
Didn't Les Miles actually
Didn't Les Miles actually pull a kid's scholarship after he'd moved in the dorms?
Yes
He also pulled a kids scholarship, notified him with a form letter, refused to speak with him about it, and told everyone in a press conference that he quit the team.
Yes.
http://oversigning.com/testing/index.php/2010/08/04/elliott-porter-speaks/
"After all was said and done, there was nothing left to do."
still better than les miles
still better than les miles
What's the big deal? It's
What's the big deal? It's only 70 miles from Redlands to USC so barely over an hour drive depending on traffic on the 5. Not like the kid had already left home yet or anything - probably only still packing up his stuff at this point. And he still has three whole days to figure out what to do with college - plenty of time!
You people are SO critical of everything Kiffin does.
What do you mean, "You
What do you mean, "You people"?
Oh come on, go look in the mirror.
Coming on here with a scarlet hat, especially after the MBB loss, he means you!
May you have a strong foundation
When the winds of changes shift
What
Do YOU mean, "you people"
Coach Hoke once told me that a moral victory is still a (expletive deleted) loss.
What do YOU mean
what do YOU mean, "you people"??
EDIT: Upvoted above for speed. Damn you cell phone/technology.
I love Greg Mattison
A 70 mile trek on the 5 won't
A 70 mile trek on the 5 won't take an hour. Ever. Unless you're traveling at 3:45am.....on a Sunday.
Seriously
I bet that silly midwestern dude probably thinks the beach is "minutes" from downtown, too.
The world looks better through maize mirror tint.
Actually, there's less
Actually, there's less traffic at 7am than 3:45am on the 5 in LA on Sunday, and I've done them both.
Everything else about what you've written is 100% correct.
Servant. Pastor. Husband. Michigan fan in Duluth.
Even that might be pushing
Even that might be pushing it..
"I think Hoke has changed the tide on the rivalry. Hell people in Ohio are starting to believe him. Never in a million years I would have thought that. Selling Michigan jerseys is a good start."
That's because he's Lane Kiffin
and he's vegetarian. Never trust a person who doesn't eat meat.
/joke about being married...
/joke about being married...
Hail.
McQuay
Did this happen because Leon McQuay selected USC? I know that he's an early enrollee too. Did they hit their cap and need to move someone from EE to fall?
Yes this happened becuase of McQuay
which makes it even more annoying as we were his #2 choice. It is amazing how little attention kids and their parents pay to the ethics of the coaching staff when choosing a school. I guess I shouldn't be surprised though as kids fall for slimy coaches all the time.
Um, am i missing something?
Um, am i missing something? How would you know if we were his number two choice?
Douche