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While Lane Kiffin was said to be nearing a deal to become Houstons next head coach, the schools board of regents chairman said Friday night that the Cougars never were close to hiring the Alabama offensive coordinator. Cheap Phillies Jerseys .Tilman Fertitta told KILT-AM in Houston that offensive coordinator Major Applewhite, whom the school promoted to head coach earlier Friday, was a better fit than Kiffin. Fertitta called in to the sports radio show Gallant At Night after he heard the hire being discussed on air.Lane Kiffin did not show me anything that Major Applewhite did not show me, Fertitta said. Sure, hes been a head coach and hes been an OK head coach. But I can tell you this: [Kiffin] was not a safe hire.Asked whether Kiffin was ever close to becoming Houstons coach, Fertitta said: Never. He was no closer than anybody else. Those [stories about him being close] are all put out by his agents, because thats the way they play the game.In response to reports that Kiffin was put off by Houstons desire to put a steep buyout clause in the next coachs contract to make it difficult for the coach to leave after two seasons -- as former coach Tom Herman did in order to accept the head position at Texas -- Fertitta said that wasnt the case and that Kiffin had assured him he would stay at Houston for an extended period if hired.He said Write the contract the way you want it, said Fertitta, who also is a prominent booster for the schools athletic program. Lane Kiffin looked me in the eye and he knew when he sat down at that table that he was going to go with the contract that I put in front of him with the buyout that I wanted in front of him. And we never even got there.The range for the buyout that Fertitta sought was the remainder of the contract at the time the coach leaves. The Houston Chronicle reported Friday that such a buyout will, indeed, be in Applewhites deal. Sources told ESPN on Friday that Applewhite will receive a five-year contract. Financial terms were not immediately available.Fertitta also expressed concern with Kiffins potential offensive and defensive coordinator choices and lack of ties to the Houston area.Applewhites familiarity and relationships with Texas high school football coaches and the continuity his hire would provide were major factors in the decision to choose him over Kiffin, Fertitta said.The Texas high school football coaches bombarded our athletic director [Hunter Yurachek] and said: We want our kids to play for Major Applewhite, Fertitta said. Heres a guy thats been on the big stage, he was the quarterback at the University of Texas, he has a great relationship with the coaches and high school football in Texas. Lane does not. That was an X against Lane compared to Major.Continuity in the program, the kids, the recruits today playing wanted Major Applewhite. They let it be known. It was just one thing after another that had steamrolled to Major.Fertitta, an entrepreneur who owns the restaurant corporation Landrys Inc. and is the host of a CNBC reality television show called Billion Dollar Buyer, said he interviewed Kiffin twice and admitted that when Houstons coaching search started, he did not originally intend to hire either of the two internal candidates: Applewhite or defensive coordinator Todd Orlando, who was named interim head coach when Herman left. Applewhite, Kiffin, Orlando, former?LSU?coach Les Miles and current Oklahoma?offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley all interviewed for the job.Ill be 100 percent honest with you. When this started, I thought that we needed to go out and get a name-brand coach, because, to me, its all about brands, Fertitta said. Nobody understands that better than me. And I wanted the University of Houston to stay relevant, OK? I think Les Miles is a fine coach and hes going to be a great coach for somebody, and I think the same thing of Lane Kiffin. I was very impressed. But when I looked at the whole picture and totality, I truly think in my heart -- and so did everybody else on the committee think -- that Major Applewhite was the right fit. Custom Richie Ashburn Jersey . -- Ryan Blaney provided more evidence that Penske Racings No. Phillies Jerseys China . - NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this years slate. http:///...ersey-large-76h.html .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. She has two brothers in the AFL and has already changed sports once, but Diamonds shooter Gretel Tippett isnt planning to swap netball for Australian rules.Tippett is back in the Australia squad for the four-test Constellation Cup series against New Zealand starting in Sydney on Sunday.The new AFL Womens competition has already recruited Australian internationals from other sports including Opals basketballers Erin Phillips and Jess Bibby, Matildas footballer Ellie Brush and Olympic javelin thrower Kim Mickle.Firebirds dual trans-Tasman title winner Gretel is the younger sister of Sydney ruck star Kurt Tippett and North Melbourne defender Joel.She was in the crowd of almost 100,00 at the MCG last Saturday when Kurts Swans were vanquished by the Western Bulldogs in the AFL grand final.Tippett would have seemed like a natural fit for Australian rules given her renowned athleticism and height of 191 cms and the family connection to the sport.However, Tippett, who switched to netball from basketball after playing in the WNBL and representing Australia ,at junior level, plans on staying put.I think it is very exciting the womens AFL and for womens sport in general that theyyve got a league now, Tippett told AAP. Wholesale Custom Phillies Shirts. I will definitely be watching and really interested in that, but Im extremely happy playing netball.I absolutely love the sport and I feel like Ive got a lot more to learn from it to challenge myself with, so Ill be sticking with netball.My decision making, definitely, and limiting my turnovers and improving my shot accuracy and a few little things like that, I can continually improve on.Tippett has been working with Diamonds assistant coach Marg Caldow on when to use her basketball moves, which have been a feature of her game at the Firebirds.Shes helping me with making the right decisions whilst out there on court, choosing when and when not to go for the layup, Tippett said.While several other Diamonds changed clubs for next years new national netball league, Tippett opted to stick with the Firebirds.It feels like all the teammates are like my sisters who I never got, being raised with two brothers, she said.Its just like a family to me and it was a no-brainer to sign with the Firebirds. 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