KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin said it wasn't a given that his father would join his staff.

Monte Kiffin announced last week that he would work with his son as Tennessee's defensive coordinator after more than a decade in the same position with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"I don't think this could have happened anywhere else because he never said, 'I'm going with you wherever you go,' " Kiffin said yesterday in his second public appearance as the Volunteers' coach. "It had to be a special place. He doesn't want to come here to be mediocre. He wants to come here to win national championships."

Kiffin said he still had to sell his father on the job even though the elder Kiffin wanted to coach with his son. Monte Kiffin is expected to join the staff a few days after Tampa Bay's season ends.

Kiffin said he wasn't worried that his father is required to report to someone besides himself to avoid violating Tennessee's nepotism policy because it "has nothing to do with our staff meetings or our dealings or our individual meetings on a weekly basis."

Kiffin said he hasn't had a chance to speak with Phillip Fulmer but has been compiling a list of questions he wants to ask the man who ran the program for the past 17 seasons.

"I've got so many questions to ask him," he said. "I'm ready to wear him out."

DIVISION III

MOUNT UNION WINS

SALEM, Va. — Greg Micheli threw two touchdown passes to Cecil Shorts as Mount Union regained its spot atop Division III football yesterday, beating defending champion Wisconsin-Whitewater, 31-26, in the Stagg Bowl.

The Purple Raiders (15-0) won their 10th Division III title — all coming in the past 16 seasons. Mount Union and Wisconsin-Whitewater (13-2) have played each other for the championship the last four years. The Raiders also won the 2005 and 2006 matchups.

Nate Kmic's first-quarter touchdown was his 16th of the playoffs, a Division III record. He also became the first player in any NCAA division to rush for 8,000 career yards. His 88 yards yesterday gave the senior 8,074 for his career.

NAIA

SIOUX FALLS WINS THIRD

ROME, Ga. — Lorenzo Brown threw a touchdown pass and ran for 129 yards as the University of Sioux Falls defeated Carroll College, 23-7, to win the NAIA championship yesterday.

The title was the South Dakota school's third and avenged a 17-9 loss to Carroll in the championship game last year. Carroll (13-1), located in Helena, Mont., had won 28 consecutive games and five of the past six NAIA championships. Sioux Falls (14-0) won in 1996 and 2006.

IOWA STATE

HIRE RHODES AS COACH

DES MOINES, Iowa — After getting burned by Gene Chizik, Iowa State has turned to former Cyclones assistant Paul Rhoads to revive a program that went 2-10 last season.

Iowa State hired Rhoads away from Auburn, which lured Chizik from Iowa State earlier this week.

Iowa State said Rhoads agreed to a five-year deal worth $5.75 million in guaranteed compensation, with incentives.