Lane Kiffin, especially earlier on in his coaching career, has been no stranger to making waves in the media. So when Kiffin was left with an offensive coordinator opening following the departure of Kendall Briles to Houston, it shouldn't be a huge surprise that he made some waves with who he ultimately decided to bring on board.
Based on a wealth of factors including familiarity and football knowledge, Kiffin decided to hire the youngest coordinator in college football in Charlie Weis Jr., who is 25. The two had worked together previously at Alabama under Nick Saban and Weis Jr. had actually joined Kiffin's original staff as tight ends coach before taking an opportunity to join the Falcons staff for his first gig in the NFL.
In an article by ESPN, Kiffin shared some thoughts on the high level of respect that Weis Jr. earned from him early on, starting when the two worked together at Alabama. It was that familiarity and the impression Weis Jr. left on Kiffin that led to his appointment on the staff at Boca Raton.
Forget his age, Weis is one of the best football minds Kiffin has ever been around, he explains.
"Age is irrelevant. Experience is relevant. I can be 50 years old, and if I've only coached for three years, then I've only coached for three years," Kiffin explained.
"When everyone else was playing in college, he was coaching. He's coached with Will Muschamp at Florida, at Kansas with his dad, he's coached at Alabama with Nick Saban, and he's coached in Atlanta, and he's coached here. There's a lot of 40-year-olds that will never be able to say that."
Kiffin goes on to explain that Weis commands a room full of players like a coaching veteran, not like someone who's been able to enjoy an adult beverage for just a few years now.
Head here read the full piece from ESPN, including Weis' thoughts on the coaching profession, some insight into how he felt walking into an interview with Saban and Kiffin, and exactly what makes his mind for football so unique.