Paul Finebaum Issues Warning To LSU Football Amid Hiring Of Lane Kiffin in Major Move

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin has arrived in Baton Rouge where he now takes over as the shot-caller of one of the most powerful brands in college sports.

Kiffin elected to make the move to depart No. 6 Ole Miss (11-1, 7-1 SEC) in an unprecedented move where the Rebels are poised to clinch a College Football Playoff berth.

“I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to lead the storied LSU Football program,” Kiffin said. “From national championships to iconic players, LSU is synonymous with excellence and is among the most powerful brands in all of sports.

"I’m grateful to President Rousse, Verge Ausberry and LSU’s leadership for placing their faith in me to lead this program.

"Our staff will recruit the very best student-athletes in the country – starting at home in the state of Louisiana – and will work tirelessly every day to bring championships that the LSU fans deserve. Geaux Tigers!”

LSU Tigers Football. — Dec 1, 2025; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; LSU new head coach Lane Kiffin speaks at South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

Now, ESPN's Paul Finebaum has issued a warning to the LSU Tigers fanbase surrounding Kiffin and the way he operates.

Paul Finebaum's Warning:

“He’s giving that up, and he’s also undoing, in my mind, years and years of work to rebuild a tarnished reputation,” said Finebaum. “And, I mean, we’ve all dealt with people that don’t like Lane Kiffin.

"Tennessee fans never let him forget that he walked out – by the way, for a better job. USC at the time was better than Tennessee. Probably isn’t anymore, but it was in 2010.”

“That’s the hard part because I think everybody looks at Ole Miss, but think about this calculus here, and I think Lane Kiffin had to do the math. He looked at his team? Very good, one loss and it was barely a loss because they had the lead against Georgia.

"And I think he – this is just my thought. He looked at the College Football Playoff pool, and he said we could get maybe a game or two in, but I think Lane Kiffin, in his estimation? He was probably not going to win the title, because if you thought you had a real shot to win the College Football Playoff, you would wait.

"You would say, you know what, I can, I’ll get Alabama one day, I’ll get this job one day,” added Finebaum. “But, I think he decided that he wasn’t going to win in his mind, and he could win one at LSU, which is what all these guys are ultimately after. And, I can’t come up with any other reason.”

“Lane Kiffin is always looking to leave. I’ll leave the psychology to someone else, but he’s not hard to figure out. He’s never satisfied, even though he had never been happier…Kiffin is undoing all of that, And, why is he undoing it? Because there’s something greener across the street. It just so happened to be down the Mississippi River, in Baton Rouge.”

More LSU News:

Kirk Herbstreit, Nick Saban Evaluate Lane Kiffin's Decision Amid LSU Football Push

Lane Kiffin 'Trending Toward Ending Up at LSU' As Tigers Pursue Coveted Head Coach

No. 1 Wide Receiver in Louisiana, LSU Football Commit Remains Locked in With Tigers

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