Fisher Comments On Lawsuit Against USC

Staff Report July 31, 2010

Titans Head Coach Jeff Fisher clarified his position surrounding Lane Kiffin’s actions in the hiring of Kennedy Pola and the Titans lawsuit against the Univeristy of Southern California.

There's a protocol," Fisher said. "There's a courtesy call. . .  It happens all the time. In this particular case, it did not happen."

Fisher appeared on the Dan Patrick Show Friday morning.  Fisher said he had not heard from Kiffin until after Pola had informed him that he was leaving the organization to accept the position of offensive coordinator at USC.

“I was informed by Kennedy that he was taking the job on Saturday, probably (at) ten o’clock in the morning,” Fisher said. “Then I got a phone call thirty to forty-five minutes later from Lane.”

Fisher said coaching changes from one NFL organization to another are mandated through NFL rules. A move from the NFL to the NCAA ranks lacks such legal regulation which could have prevented the controversy between the Titans and USC.

“In the National Football League we have bylaws,” Fisher said. “We have inches and inches of paperwork that spells all this out when a position coach or employees move from organization to organization.”

Fisher said that the irony of his alma mater poaching a member of his coaching staff one week before training camp has no bearing on the lawsuit itself.

“I think you have to separate it.  I think those out there understand that this is a business and we’re trying to conduct a business and win football games. I understand they are as well and I think you just have to separate it.  It could have happened with any institution.”

The incident marks the second time Kiffin has caused recent trouble in the state after his exit from the University of Tennessee in January. At the Pac-10 Media Day Thursday, Kiffin said the geographic proximity of the Titans and the University of Tennessee helped lead to the lawsuit.

"I think it has to do with the location of the team in the lawsuit," Kiffin said

 Fisher countered Kiffin’s claim during his interview with Patrick.

"I think that's absolutely ridiculous," Fisher said. "What he’s done is because of previous experience with the University of Tennessee, he’s grouping those kind of things together, and that’s absurd."

The Titans report to Baptist Sports Park today for the start of training camp with the first practice set to start tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Fisher said he is ready to move on from the incident after promoting several members of his staff to fill the void left by Pola's departure.

“I’ve moved on," Fisher said. "I’ve promoted a quarterbacks coach (Craig Johnson) to assistant head coach…who’s very, very willing to help get us out of a difficult situation and promoted two young up and coming coaches(Dowell Loggains and Richie Wessman) , so we’ve moved on and I think we’re probably better off this way than when we started back in February."