KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- To entice Ed Orgeron to join the Tennessee staff as recruiting coordinator, Volunteers coach Lane Kiffin went on a recruiting trip of his own.
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Kiffin surprised his former colleague at Southern California by showing up in Destin, Fla., where Orgeron was vacationing with his family on Wednesday, to make an appeal to join his staff in Knoxville.
"My wife actually told me that morning, 'Lane called and asked for the address in Destin.' I said, 'Clean the apartment, they're coming. I'm telling you, they're on the plane. I know this guy,"' Orgeron said Friday in his first appearance at Tennessee.
The Larose, La., native will also work as the Vols' assistant head coach and defensive line coach under defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, Lane Kiffin's father.
At the time of Kiffin's visit to Florida, rumors were swirling that Orgeron would join LSU coach Les Miles after a season as the New Orleans Saints' defensive line coach. Orgeron said he was lured by the thought of remaining in his home state but was leaning toward Tennessee because he wanted to coach with the Kiffins.
"When him and Monte showed up at my doorstep, it sold the whole thing. That just goes to show you, he'll talk about my recruiting, but he is a fantastic recruiter himself, and that just sealed the deal for us," Orgeron said.
Orgeron was recruiting coordinator at USC under Pete Carroll from 1998-2004, tutoring Kiffin in recruiting when he joined the staff in 2001. Kiffin took over the recruiting coordinator's job after Orgeron left to coach Mississippi in 2005.
At USC, he formed several recruiting classes ranked in the nation's top five by analysts, and was the 2004 National Recruiter of the Year by Sporting News and Rivals.com.
The 47-year-old Orgeron said he wanted to return to the college ranks because he loves recruiting and was glad to be returning to the Southeastern Conference after a three-season tenure at Mississippi, where he won only three league games.
"The first time I came to the SEC, I didn't know a bunch about it," he said. "But I kind of know the lay of the land (now). I kind of know the talent. I know the coaches. I know what it takes to recruit in the SEC."
Kiffin called Orgeron the best recruiter and defensive line coach in both college and the NFL, having attracted a number of future All-Americans and NFL players to his teams. Orgeron has also worked as defensive line coach at Syracuse and Miami.
"As you look at the SEC right now, one of the most talented teams in the SEC is Ole Miss. Ed Orgeron, as everyone here knows, put that team together, and you see what's happening with that team right now," Kiffin said.
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