NASHVILLE - Vol Nation may be in an uproar about University of Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin's abrupt departure, but the attention of Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, who is pushing reforms to higher education, is elsewhere.
"My interest in who the football coach is considerably less than my interest in moving these other issues forward," Gov. Bredesen said today after he presented his higher education proposals to the boards of the University of Tennessee, State Board of Regents and Higher Education Commission.
"From my perspective that (Kiffin quitting) is a blip on the radar. I'm sure that UT will find a fine new football coach and all will be well."
Asked by reporters whether UT should be looking for a new coach with a higher maturity level than Mr. Kiffin, whose harsh characterizations of opponents such as Florida drew criticism, the governor said, "I have no idea what the maturity of this person was. How old was this person, 35, 34? I have no idea whether maturity in a football coach is obtained at 35 or 55. I just don't know. I'm sorry."
He said UT "will find a new football coach. Maybe they made a mistake, maybe they didn't. You know, presidents of universities leave sooner than we thought they were supposed to do. So somebody quit and went. Big deal."