Titans Sue Kiffin over Pola Signing
Newly appointed University of Southern California football coach Lane Kiffin has been a polarizing figure in professional and college football throughout his career. People have often criticized his approaches in recruiting and job selection, but this time Kiffin may have gone too far.
The Tennessee Titans of the National Football League have filed suit against Kiffin for his hiring of former Titans running backs coach Kennedy Pola. The suit, filed on Monday, includes two counts against Kiffin. The first states that Kiffin provided Pola "inducement of breach of contract" and the second states that USC engaged in common law interference with the contract Pola had with the Titans.
This lawsuit should be one of the more interesting court cases relating to sports teams in recent memory. Jeff Fischer, the Titans’ head coach, is a USC alumni and him filing suit against his former school should more than ruffle a few feathers. The court case also has the potential to provide the Titans with some very interesting publicity.
Of note is that although the suit alleges that Pola breached his contract with the Titans, only USC and Kiffin are being sued for the breach. According to the lawsuit, Kiffin initially contacted Pola about becoming the offensive coordinator and running backs coach on 23 July. This already breached Pola’s contract as he had no written permission to engage in contract discussions with other parties. Pola then signed with USC on 24 July.
The main sentiment of the complaint is that Kiffin and USC were more than aware that Pola had a contract with the Titans. The suit also acknowledges Kiffin’s general "culture of violation and avoidance of respect." According to the Titans, the move fits perfectly with the "course of pattern of conduct fostered by Kiffin and USC to use improper methods and means to the direct harm and damage to parties of contracts."
The Titans appear to have some pretty solid ground for their claim as Kiffin has hired four other coaches from within the state of Tennessee who were under contract with other teams. There coaches are former Volunteers assistants Monte Kiffin, James Cregg, Willie Mack Garza, and Ed Orgeron.
The Titans also claim that Kiffin’s actions are detrimental to their 2010 campaign. The suit notes that Kiffin’s signing occurred "less than one week prior to Tennessee Football's training camp, disrupting its season planning and coordinated effort among its coaches, causing potential loss of confidence by its players, and causing extensive monetary losses consisting of salary and benefits paid to Pola since the commencement of the Pola contract, and future damage."
Although the case has a long way to go before trial, let alone resolution, it seems as if the Tennessee Titans will have public opinion on their side. This move is a good one because it shows that the Titans are not an organization that will take losing coaching staff lightly. Other teams will be a lot more respectful when it comes to courting Titans staff members, which in turn means the Titans don’t have to worry about unexpected turnover.
Additionally, this is a smart public relations move for the Titans. Very few people like Kiffin, especially in the state of Tennessee. Kiffin previously held the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee. After a mediocre 7-6 season, Kiffin resigned just a month before National Signing Day, a move which destroyed the depth of the University of Tennessee signing class.
By filing suit, the Titans show their solidarity with their state’s public learning and sports institution. Kiffin’s actions have offended many in sports for a long time, the Titans should be revered for finally doing something about it.
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