+34
Paul Finebaum blasted a major college football coach for a controversial offseason move and public comments.
SEC Nation's Paul Finebaum speaks on the sideline during pre-game. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin has been the center of one of the biggest controversies of the offseason.
Kiffin elected to leave the Ole Miss Rebels for LSU following the 2025 regular season, despite the Rebels being 11-1 and headed to their first College Football Playoff appearance. As a result, Ole Miss didn't allow Kiffin to coach the team during the playoff run. Instead, they promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to full-time head coach.
Golding did a great job, leading the Rebels to wins over the Tulane Green Wave and the Georgia Bulldogs before falling to the Miami Hurricanes in the final seconds of the semifinals. That was thought to be the end of it, but Kiffin just couldn't help himself. Louisiana State Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin looks on prior to the game. | Maria Lysaker-Imagn ImagesIn an interview with "Vanity Fair," Kiffin said that it was hard to recruit at Ole Miss.
He cited a lack of diversity, and as a result, recruits' families wouldn't let them go to Oxford.
", 'Hey, Coach, we really like you. But my grandparents aren't letting me move to Oxford, Mississippi,'""That doesn't come up when you say Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parents were sitting here this weekend saying the campus' diversity feels so great: 'It feels like there's no segregation. And we want that for our kid because that's the real world.
'"That statement caused quite a bit of pushback for those in Oxford. Kiffin late apologized, stating, “I really apologize if anybody at Ole Miss or in Mississippi was offended by that,”said.
“In a four-hour interview, I was asked a lot of questions on a lot of things, and Ole Miss has been wonderful to me and to my family. " But the damage was done. ESPN's Paul Finebaum discussed these comments by Kiffin on "The Paul Finebaum Show.
" He stated that Kififn was the one who caused all of the problems, yet he's acting like the victim. Finebaum said.
"Lane Kiffin is the one who left a bunch of broken hearts, and he's acting like the aggrieved one here.... He just couldn't resist going as low as possible. He's a smart guy. He knew that line.
He could back it up because it's been said before, but he also knew how controversial it would be. It's in his DNA.
"The reality is that Kiffin couldn't help himself, as Finebaum stated. He says what is on his mind before considering whether it could hurt people or be deemed controversial. Because of that, college football might have one of the most anticipated games of the season when Kiffin and LSU travel to Oxford to play Ole Miss at night on Sept. 19. One that could have major College Football Playoff implications and provide some closure for both sides.
Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendationsJaron Spor has nearly a decade of journalism experience, initially as a news anchor/reporter in Wichita Falls, Texas and then covering the Oklahoma Sooners for USA Today's Sooners Wire. He has written about pro and college sports for Athlon and serves as a host across the Locked On Podcast Network focusing on Mississippi State and the Tampa Bay Bucs.
Scratch the next story
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Trump says it's 'shocking' Major League Baseball still hasn't implemented a salary capPresident Donald Trump says MLB should have adopted a salary cap years ago, calling it shocking the league never enacted one as collective bargaining talks begin.
Read more »
Major Shonen Jump Series Hit With Sudden Hiatus Before ReleaseThis major Shonen Jump manga has taken a sudden hiatus before its newest chapter was supposed to hit
Read more »
Cockroach Janta Party Stages First Major Street Protest in New Delhi, Demanding Education Minister's ResignationThe Cockroach Janta Party, a viral social media movement turned protest group, held its first large-scale demonstration in New Delhi, channeling youth frustration over education and jobs into a political call for the resignation of India's Education Minister.
Read more »
Paul Finebaum Reveals College Football Commissioners Were 'Hoodwinked'Paul Finebaum claims multiple commissioners were hoodwinked into supporting a controversial plan.
Read more »