Someone Take Away Lane Kiffin's Phone

Even when Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin does something right he manages to do it wrong. It's not easy to turn a simple misunderstanding about trash-talking into a recruiting violation.

You may remember the unpleasantness between Kiffin and Alshon Jeffery, the wide receiver who told the media that Kiffin called him on Signing Day Eve to explain that Jeffery would be "pumping gas for the rest of his life" if he went to South Carolina. Kiffin responded by calling Jeffery back, after the report came out, in order to clear up the matter. Kiffin even says that he got Jeffery to admit that no such statement had ever been uttered. There's no proof that either the insult or the retraction ever took place, but that would probably ruin the story so whatever.

There's just one problem. By calling Jeffery after he had signed his letter of intent with South Carolina, Kiffin violated NCAA rules. Tennessee reported itself to the NCAA this week. Oh, Lane. Your blatant disregard for proper procedure and decorum is so adorable.

Kiffin flap still not out of gas [The State]