Ad Disclosure
Lane Kiffin playfully roasts Paul Finebaum over series of missed predictions
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Paul Finebaum is not afraid to speak his mind. That includes when he’s going up against SEC Network host Paul Finebaum.
During Kiffin’s time in Dallas for SEC Media Days, he visited with Finebaum to discuss a range of topics. That included Finebaum joking that he helped get Kiffin fired from his head coaching job at USC.
Kiffin readily acknowledged he got himself fired but he was also quick to joke with Finebaum that the analyst didn’t help him in the process:
“You really did,” said Kiffin about Finebaum getting him fired. “Because it is a true story that the athletic director and the president were on that trip, we were playing that night, and you were on ‘College GameDay’ and you had to make your big splash,” Kiffin reflected. “… And you said what a joke I was, I was the Miley Cyrus of college football coaching, and I should be fired… later that night I was fired.”
Kiffin then admitted a lot of good things came out of getting fired at USC, including his time spent working under Nick Saban. Finebaum also admitted Miley Cyrus is doing alright these days which prompted Kiffin to get a jab in at the host.
“Really, I don’t know what you’re good at. You predicted Coach Saban was done — that didn’t happen. You basically said Miley Cyrus stinks, and she’s still going,” cracked Kiffin.
“Really, I don’t know what you’re good at. You predicted Coach Saban was done — that didn’t happen. You basically said Miley Cyrus stinks, and she’s still going.”
– Lane Kiffin with a little ribbing of Paul Finebaum.
(H/T @JustOKsport) pic.twitter.com/2QVF62dUk6
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 18, 2024
Kiffin’s quick exit from Tennessee and unceremonious firing at USC did produce a bleak outlook for his coaching career, but he was able to turn things around. After serving and learning under Saban, he would rejoin the head coaching ranks at FAU before eventually returning to the SEC at Ole Miss.
Now, Kiffin has the Rebels poised for a potential trip to the College Football Playoff as one of the favorites in this year’s SEC Championship odds. Either way, Kiffin has proven Finebaum — and many others — wrong about the supposed demise of his days as a coach.
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
