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Why didn’t the Houston Cougars hire Lane Kiffin?

By Ian Levy

Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin prior to the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 31, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin prior to the game against the Michigan State Spartans in the 2015 CFP semifinal at the Cotton Bowl at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports /
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In a surprising move, the Houston Cougars promoted Major Applewhite to be their new head football coach. Why did they pass on Lane Kiffin?

For the past week, it had been assumed that the University of Houston was honing in on Lane Kiffin to be their new head coach, replacing Tom Herman who had departed for the University of Texas. They have apparently shifted gears and reportedly promoted their own offensive coordinator, Major Applewhite to the position.

This surprising turn may have been more about the appeal of Applewhite than any perceived shortcomings of Kiffin’s. In a statement released to the media, Houston’s athletic director, Hunter Yurachek, cited Applewhite’s connections to Houston and to the state (h/t College Football Talk).

"“When we set out on our search for the new leader of our football program, we wanted a coach with great integrity who believed in our mission and truly believed in our student-athlete experience. We had our sights set on a focused competitor who has demonstrated success and possesses a deep connection to college and high school football in the great state of Texas. As this process was completed, it was clearly evident the only individual to offer our position to was Major Applewhite and he was indeed the right man to lead our program.”"

Applewhite had previously worked as a coordinator at Rice University and the University of Texas, in addition to his time with Houston. While continuity may have been part of Applewhite’s appeal, Kiffin’s checkered past almost certainly was a factor to some degree.

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Kiffin’s failures at USC and with the Oakland Raiders, and his rapid exit of from the head coaching position at the University of Tennessee may have chipped away at his image as a coach who could bring consistency and excellence to a program. His time as offensive coordinator at Alabama has helped rehab his image, but Kiffin’s head coaching history may not have been that easy to shake.

Reports are that Kiffin is still in the running for the head coaching position at USF, or could become the offensive coordinator at LSU.

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