Doug Who? Lane Kiffin’s Return to Oxford Recalls a Similarly Emotional SEC Return in 1970

Doug Who? 

Lane Kiffin’s Return to Oxford Recalls a Similarly Emotional SEC Return in 1970 

By Denis M. Crawford, College Football Hall of Fame Historian 

The vitriol surrounding Lane Kiffin’s return to Oxford, MS this week recalls another event in SEC history when a head coach’s decision to leave his school for a chief rival engendered high anger levels.  

The acrimony surrounding Kiffin’s departure last December and the drama about its impact on the Rebels’ run through the CFP will result in tens of thousands of partisans letting the coach know exactly how they feel about him and his new team. The story of former Florida and Tennessee head coach Doug Dickey could is informative about what Kiffin should expect…and gives Ole Miss an on-field goal to shoot for.  

Doug Dickey: UT Coach, UF Alum 

In late December 1969, rumors began swirling that Tennessee head coach Doug Dickey (Hall of Fame Class of 2003) would become the new head coach at the University of Florida, his alma mater. This was disconcerting news for Vols fans, who had come to view Dickey as one of their own after he had re-made the program, leading them to an SEC title, five straight bowl appearances and three straight victories over Bear Bryant’s Alabama teams. Dickey even introduced the checkerboard end zone and “Power T” helmet logo to Tennessee in 1964.  

What made the rumors worse was that Tennessee’s opponent in the upcoming Gator Bowl was none other than Florida! Even Lane Kiffin hasn’t done something like this! The Vols lost to the Gators 14-13 and there were grumblings about how much effort Dickey put into preparing for a game against an opponent he was possibly negotiating to take over.  

The grumbling led to full-throated anger when it came out during Dickey’s press conference accepting the Florida job that the Gators had approached him in August 1969. UF officials informed him at that time that the job would become available because Ray Graves had decided to retire. The Memphis Commerical-Appeal further fanned the flames when it insinuated that Tennessee did not recruit the state of Florida as vigorously in 1969 as in past years. An example of the haul Dickey normally poached from the Sunshine State was Hall of Fame LB Steve Kiner of Tampa, FL. Kiner had been one of Dickey’s biggest recruiting triumphs. An NCAA investigation cleared Dickey and Florida of any wrongdoing, but Vols fans were not placated.  

It Seemed Personal 

As the October 24 showdown at Neyland Stadium approached, fans throughout the Volunteer State wore pins bearing the phrase “Doug Who?” and listened to a song titled “The Ballad of Tricky Dickey,” which lambasted the perceived turncoat coach.  

Dickey was prepared to be booed but hoped the fans would quickly turn their attention to the game. “I think it would be a shame if a game between two groups of boys is overshadowed because of emphasis put on a coach who went from one school to another.” 

New Tennessee coach Bill Battle also hoped the fans vocal cords would be sore from supporting his team rather than denigrating the former coach. “We need for you to be enthusiastic but the enthusiasm should be positive toward the Tennessee team and not negative toward Florida.” 

Vols fans did boo vociferously early in the game but then the Volunteers, specifically quarterback Bobby Scott, gave them only reasons to cheer in a 38-7 victory. Scott threw for a then-record 385 yards and two touchdowns while the Vol defense had two pick-sixes.  

The Florida-Tennessee game was not the annual rivalry in the 1970s it became later, so Dickey only had three more shots at his former employer, going 2-2 overall. Because the Vols didn’t dominate the Gators after 1970, Tennessee fans had to content themselves with Dickey not having as much success in Gainesville as he did in Knoxville.  

Will Lane Kiffin be received in a similar manner to Dickey? That is VERY likely as the phrase “Lane Who?” is everywhere in Mississippi. What about the years ahead, though? If LSU and Ole Miss split their games over Kiffn’s tenure in Baton Rouge, will that be enough or will he also need to struggle as Dickey did? Revenge, like beauty, is sometime in the eye of the beholder and it will be fascinating to see how the LSU-Ole Miss rivalry plays out for Kiffin and his former fans in the future.