Lane Kiffin -- No Special Police Protection ... For Tennessee Return

Lane Kiffin will NOT receive any special protection from the University of Tennessee PD when he returns to UT this weekend -- despite the fact everyone in the state hates his guts.

Kiffin -- who's now an offensive coordinator for Alabama -- is still despised in the Volunteer state for ditching the school in 2009 for USC after less than a year in the job.

But when he returns to TN for the first time this weekend, the UT Police Department tells TMZ Sports there will NOT be a special unit assigned to protect Lane or his family. Translation -- they don't feel Lane's safety is in any real danger.

Weird considering the UT student body hung Lane in effigy when he left the school -- and his own mother says she's extremely concerned for his safety in Knoxville this weekend.

Still, one law enforcement source tells us ... "He'll get what every typical coach would get."

Yeah, problem is ... not every "typical coach" has a wife who's actively TROLLING the UT fanbase on Twitter with Volunteer-themed jokes.

Here's one Layla Kiffin posted on Wednesday -- "Knock-knock. Who's there? #Orange. Orange who? Or'ange you glad we're coming back to Knoxville?"