Memo to Monte:  Defense ain’t the problem in Knoxville.   Can you please  fix what remains  of the dynamic duo from the explosive  #117th ranked offense?

Reading the interview  below, Monte seems to be the opposite of Lane, humble, reserved and careful with his words.

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He has been in Knoxville for five months, and it’s clear what’s important for new Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin: everyone else in the SEC.

From the breakdown of personnel for defending national champion Florida on his grease board, to the hours of game tape on the flat screen in his small office, the best assistant coach in the NFL has found a home in the college game. Kiffin spoke with Sporting News’ Matt Hayes recently about his brief time at Tennessee:

Sporting News: Your son, Lane, has taken a lot of heat for his personality and the way he has run the program in such a short time. Is too much being made of him speaking his mind?

Monte Kiffin: I know that some people may think that he’s arrogant. But he has a lot of respect for this league — and this profession. He grew up in it. You do have to be comfortable in what you’re doing, and he is. Lane has a lot of energy, and he expects that out of the staff. The players couldn’t help but see it when we arrived. I’ve coached in a lot of places, but I’ve never seen anything like the energy we had at our spring practices. At first, it was a wait-and-see deal with the players. In fairness to them, they didn’t know any of us and they had a lot of respect for (former UT) Coach (Phillip) Fulmer and should have. But it didn’t take long and they were buying into the program.

SN: Were you a fan of college football while coaching in the NFL, or was it more evaluating players?

MK: Most pro coaches have been in college, so it doesn’t leave you. All the players are fired up every Friday and Saturday morning. You fly to a game and they can’t wait to land to check the scores. Guys are jabbering at each other. Especially SEC guys. The college game is so much bigger nowadays. The NFL always had a lot of exposure, but now because of new television contracts, the pre- and postgame shows, and the Internet, college football has become such a big deal.

SN: When did that hit you over the last five months?

MK: The spring game here was just amazing. The Vol Walk, the support from the fans, the 51,000 at the game. I loved pro football, but I absolutely loved college football before I went to the NFL. The fan support here is unbelievable. I knew it was going to be a really neat place, but it has exceeded my expectations.

SN: You hadn’t recruited in 35 years, since you were a member of the Nebraska staff. What was that like?

MK: I told our coaches, in the old days, they used to go to May 15 for national signing day. The kids would get a letter of intent in February, but you had to keep recruiting them until the middle of May when they signed. I used to fly from Nebraska to Chicago, change planes in O’Hare, and fly to Newark. Then I’d get in a car or a plane and go up and down the coast until May 15 to make sure we were keeping our guys.

SN: Compare that to current recruiting trips.

MK: I got here on a Thursday, and Sunday night was first day we could go out. I went with Ed Orgeron to Memphis on my first trip. I’m thinking, “I’d like to visit with kids in the morning, get a run in during the late afternoon and then do home visits later that night.” My son said, “Dad, you’re not even going to be in Memphis in the afternoon, you’ll be in Atlanta.” I had no idea. We were in four states in one day. I felt like I had been recruiting for a week. That was Day 1. I said to myself, “Welcome to the new age of recruiting.” I just got into it and had a blast.

SN: What’s it like recruiting with Orgeron, who many believe is the best in the business?

MK: He’s a diehard guy, very committed, very passionate. I love to walk in the building every day and see Coach O. The way he runs recruiting meetings is unbelievable. I go there to start the day just to hear Ed talk and get fired up. Someone will say this kid already committed. Ed says, “I don’t care; you wait and see, we’ll get that guy.” And it works. I saw it happen this year. When Lane wanted to hire Ed, it was like going after a five-star recruit, like we were going after Peyton Manning. That was such a huge hire for Lane, much bigger than myself. Ed wakes up at four in the morning thinking about the recruit from Riverdale, California.

SN: Rumor has it you’ve watched a ton of tape on Florida already. Is that true?

MK: And they seem to get better every time I watch them. Look at that (grease) board. Do you see holes there? They must have their fastest guys with the smallest numbers. I can’t tell. To me, they’re all fast — even the offensive linemen. And that quarterback isn’t bad, either.

SN: Speaking of Tim Tebow, as a guy who did as much to define defense in the NFL as anyone the last decade, can Tebow play quarterback in the NFL?

MK: Sure he can. He can do anything he wants; he’s too good. The thing I’ve noticed is he has really gotten better as a passer. I was hoping he wasn’t a good passer, to tell you the truth. He’s a lot better than people think.

SN: Five months into this job, what stands out?

MK: I told Lane, the good news is, you’re the coach at Tennessee. The bad news is, check your schedule. There are some really good coaches in this league, and they’re here to stay. It’s not like Nick Saban or Steve Spurrier or Urban Meyer or Mark Richt is going to the NFL. What better job could you have? I like to analyze coaches, and every coach in this league — every one — is just terrific. I mean, look what Rich Brooks has done at Kentucky. Look at Auburn, they hired Gus Malzahn (as offensive coordinator) from Tulsa, and that team led the nation in offense the last two years. So now I’m watching tape from Tulsa, too. I can’t believe all the talented coaches in this league.

SN: Is there enough time this summer to break it all down?

MK: I don’t have many hobbies. I don’t golf, I don’t fish, I don’t bowl. I love my family and I love to coach. I can’t wait for it to start. I’ll be in here all summer watching tape.