A lot of people were shocked on Friday when Houston announced that they had hired offensive coordinator Major Applewhite as their head coach. Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin was seen as the frontrunner for the position, and Kiffin being passed over brought on some minor controversy.
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Was it the lack of Texas connections? The feeling that he could leave after just one season? What caused Kiffin to "lose" the job? Well, Houston booster and board of regents chairman Tilman Fertitta explained the deal on Houston radio on Friday, and it looks like it came down to one thing for the Cougars.
Related: Lane Kiffin reportedly had deal in place for next college football job
Via FOX Sports:
"I think for numerous reasons [why we went with Applewhite instead of Kiffin]," Fertitta said. "Number 1, the Texas high school football coaches bombarded our athletic director. They said, 'We want our players to play for Major Applewhite.' Here's a guy whose been on the big stage, he played quarterback at the University of Texas. He has a great relationship with the high school football coaches in Texas, Lane does not.
It indeed looks like recruiting and those connections in Texas played the biggest role in Houston sticking with one of their own guys. The bonus factor of Applewhite being more likely to stick around for a few more years than Kiffin would probably didn't hurt, either.
As of now, Kiffin is still Alabama's offensive coordinator, but we will see how long that lasts.
