Now at USC, ‘all is good’ with Tee Martin and Lane Kiffin

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Unless you’ve recently come out of some sort of protective hiding, you no doubt have heard that former Kentucky wide receivers coach Tee Martin is now part of Lane Kiffin‘s coaching staff at USC. 

So far, the reaction has been generally positive. Two years ago, however, it’s doubtful too many people would’ve predicted those two on the same sideline. Shortly after Kiffin bolted from Tennessee to take the job with the Trojans, Martin, a UT alum who guided the Vols to a 1998 BCS championship, told The Sporting News he was ”embarrassed by the timing” of Kiffin’s move and added that Kiffin “wanted everyone to buy into what he was selling, and then he left after one year.”

Fast forward to 2012, though, and everything’s peachy.

“He said, ‘I want to let you know that was kind of out of context,’” Kiffin said of Martin when the coaches met for a Feb. 13 interview. “But really, I could* care less about what he said back then.”

(*couldn’t, but we get it) 

That didn’t stop Martin from elaborating on his previous comments.

“I remember when Coach Kiffin did his first interview in Tennessee — I was one of the first people he called once he got off the podium,” Martin said. “I respected that. So when he left, I was upset about the move. It was just about the timing.

“He was doing good things…. If he had stayed, then my alma mater was going to be good. At the time everybody was emotional around the Tennessee family and I made emotional comments. Now we’re grown men and I have an opportunity to work for him. He’s my boss now and all is good.”

Not that it matters now. As evident by his love for two-point conversions, Kiffin’s shown he cares little about the past or what people think. And, if the Trojans can respond in kind to the 2012 preseason love they’re getting… well… let’s just say whatever was said by Martin will be forgotten, if it isn’t already.