Houston board chairman: Alabama’s Lane Kiffin ‘not a safe hire’
By Adam Spencer
Published:
Houston made news on Friday when it chose current offensive coordinator Major Applewhite as its next head coach over rumored front-runner Lane Kiffin.
On Friday night, Houston board chairman Tilman Fertitta explained to ESPN.com why the Cougars stayed in-house with their new hire instead of making the splashy pick in Kiffin:
“Lane Kiffin did not show me anything that Major Applewhite did not show me,” Fertitta said. “Sure, he’s been a head coach and he’s been an OK head coach. But I can tell you this: [Kiffin] was not a safe hire.”
Fertitta added that rumors about how close the Alabama offensive coordinator was to landing the job were just that — rumors:
“Never. He was no closer than anybody else. Those [stories about him being close] are all put out by his agents, because that’s the way they play the game.”
So, with that, Houston has its new coach and Kiffin is still looking for a new job. Whether Fertitta and the Cougars made the right decision remains to be seen.
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
