ESPN is reporting that Lane Kiffin will likely be announced on Monday as the next head football coach of the University of Tennessee Volunteers.  The announcement is being delayed until current head coach Phil Fulmer can coach his final game on Saturday against Kentucky.

Tennessee has reached an agreement with former Oakland Raiders coach Lane Kiffin to take over as the Volunteers’ next coach, with an announcement planned for Monday, barring any snags, according to multiple sources.

Kiffin, 33, will be making his college head coaching debut in succeeding Phillip Fulmer, who will coach his last game for the Vols on Saturday. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton denied reports on Wednesday that Kiffin had been offered a contract. But Kiffin has been at the forefront of the Vols’ search for some time. Part of the holdup is that Tennessee didn’t want to do anything officially this week that would take away from Fulmer’s final game Saturday against Kentucky. Fulmer was fired by Hamilton on Nov. 2 and allowed to finish out the season. He’s been at Tennessee as a player, assistant coach and head coach for 35 years.

Lane very possibly might not be the only Kiffin coming to ‘The Hill.’  Papa Kiffin could become his son’s defensive coordinator.

One of the big draws with Kiffin was the staff that he’ll potentially be able to put together. He’s talked with his father, Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin, about joining him at Tennessee. The elder Kiffin is considered one of the foremost defensive minds in football.

I believe Kiffin is a good hire for the Vols. He will likely face a steep learning curve as a college head coach, especially in the SEC, but he seems to have the pedigree and experience to rise to the occassion.