One of the more fascinating subplots of Lane Kiffin‘s mildly controversial departure from Tennessee to USC involved David Reaves.
Reaves spent 2009 as Kiffin’s quarterbacks coach with the Volunteers and, as his sister Layla is married to the coach, is also his brother-in-law. Even given that by-marriage family tie, however, Kiffin did not inform Reaves that he was taking the USC job.
The current New Mexico passing game coordinator said later that he was disappointed in not being given “some kind of heads up on the situation”, but said he understands that “sometimes you get left out of the loop” in his profession.
Reaves is back in the news today, and Kiffin might want to cross his fingers that whatever private bitterness his in-law may have felt seven months ago has since dissipated.
According to ESPN.com‘s Joe Schad, NCAA investigators interviewed Reaves Tuesday morning as they continue their probe into Kiffin’s recruiting practices while at Tennessee.
A source told Schad that the assistant coach “was asked about Tennessee recruiting hostesses having attended recruits’ high school games, calls to prospects during an all-star game and recruiting weekends.”
The NCAA’s visit with Reaves comes a week after investigators questioned Bryce Brown, the most highly-touted -- and controversial -- member of Kiffin’s only UT recruiting class. Last month, athletic director Mike Hamilton said he expects to receive a Letter of Inquiry at some point in the future regarding secondary violations Kiffin committed while coach, although it seems like the NCAA has expanded the scope of their investigation beyond what’s already been admitted to publicly.
Both Kiffin and USC recruiting coordinator Ed Orgeron have vehemently denied that anything untoward occurred while in Knoxville.