University of Tennessee Athletics
Kiffin, Chow Matchup 'Legendary'
September 11, 2009 | Football
Sept. 11, 2009
BY DREW EDWARDS
UTSports.com
For a few minutes this week, Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin channeled his inner promoter.
"From fans' perspective, the media's perspective, it's a big-time matchup," Kiffin said of Tennessee's 4 p.m. kickoff against UCLA on Saturday in Neyland Stadium. "It's kind of like a legends matchup when you look at Norm Chow vs. Monte Kiffin. It's a big chess match with arguably the best defensive coordinator in NFL history vs. the best offensive coordinator in college history. I think it's a very intriguing matchup of two great coaches."
It's not quite Don King fare, but Saturday's visit from UCLA - and offensive coordinator Chow - certainly is a matchup of football heavyweights.
Even if it's a bit one-sided in Monte Kiffin's eyes.
"Lane came up with that deal. Legend? Norm Chow's a legend," said the elder Kiffin, in his first year as the Vols' defensive coordinator after 26 seasons as an assistant in the NFL. "I haven't coached college for a long time. I'm just coaching some ball."
Chow has coached some good ones, including three Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks: Ty Detmer (BYU), Matt Leinart (USC) and Carson Palmer (USC). His BYU offenses were among some of the most explosive in college football history, and he helped lay the foundation for Southern California's return to prominence along with Lane Kiffin and Vols defensive line coach Ed Orgeron.
That gives UT's new staff plenty of knowledge of Chow.
Even Monte Kiffin has a level of familiarity with Chow. In addition to facing Chow once in an NFL preseason game when Chow was offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, Monte Kiffin actually sat in the press box as Chow called plays for Southern California in two Orange Bowls.
"Norm's good. He's really good," Monte Kiffin said.
UT safety Eric Berry has his own level of respect for Chow, who helped orchestrate UCLA's comeback win last season against Tennessee in Pasadena.
"I respect him a lot," Berry said. "He's a very good OC, just the way he did call those plays and drive the ball down the field on us was very impressive. This year we just have to make sure we stay focused and do what we need to do to keep that from happening."
Monte Kiffin's got his own idea on how to do that, even if it's pretty implausible.
"If he missed the flight or something, it wouldn't hurt my feelings," he said. "But I doubt that'll happen."
Follow the Vols on Twitter @UTAthletics, and read Drew Edwards' blog, The Inside Source.
