OT: Kiffin pulls early enrollee's scholarship 3 days before he's scheduled to arrive on campus
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?
January 14th, 2013 at 12:50 PM ^
Douche
January 14th, 2013 at 5:40 PM ^
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.
January 15th, 2013 at 4:11 AM ^
Those with the ability to influence change are too busy bitching about and scapegoating individuals for the PED era.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
Lane Kiffin is a douche. And he doesn't win.
Nothing worse than a douchey loser.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 12:53 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:09 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 4:25 PM ^
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/
January 14th, 2013 at 2:08 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:16 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:54 PM ^
"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
January 14th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:04 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:39 PM ^
He pulled the carpet from under the kid's feet once. What makes you think he won't do it again?
January 14th, 2013 at 1:58 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 4:48 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 5:36 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 6:13 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:58 PM ^
For a HS student? i can't...
January 14th, 2013 at 12:59 PM ^
Still a douche
January 14th, 2013 at 1:02 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:54 PM ^
First thing I thought of when I saw the headline was... so that's how they got room for LM3 to enroll early.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:11 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:26 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:44 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:32 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 3:55 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 4:55 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 5:29 PM ^
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!
January 14th, 2013 at 4:28 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:55 PM ^
Didn't Les Miles actually pull a kid's scholarship after he'd moved in the dorms?
January 14th, 2013 at 1:10 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 12:57 PM ^
still better than les miles
January 14th, 2013 at 12:59 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:07 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 1:12 PM ^
Coming on here with a scarlet hat, especially after the MBB loss, he means you!
January 14th, 2013 at 1:26 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 1:44 PM ^
what do YOU mean, "you people"??
EDIT: Upvoted above for speed. Damn you cell phone/technology.
January 14th, 2013 at 1:42 PM ^
A 70 mile trek on the 5 won't take an hour. Ever. Unless you're traveling at 3:45am.....on a Sunday.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 2:33 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^
January 14th, 2013 at 2:58 PM ^
and he's vegetarian. Never trust a person who doesn't eat meat.
January 14th, 2013 at 3:27 PM ^
/joke about being married...
January 14th, 2013 at 1:00 PM ^
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?
January 14th, 2013 at 1:29 PM ^
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.
January 14th, 2013 at 3:06 PM ^
Um, am i missing something? How would you know if we were his number two choice?