Paul Finebaum names top college football head coaching job among LSU, Florida, Penn State

Paul Finebaum explained on ESPN’s Get Up why Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin should choose LSU over Florida for his next job.

College football personality Paul Finebaum explained why LSU is the better head coaching job in college football over Florida or Penn State. | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

The coaching carousel in the SEC turned sharply this week when LSU fired Brian Kelly after a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M. The move ended a four-year tenure and immediately sparked speculation about the Tigers’ next hire. College football analyst Paul Finebaum wasted no time weighing in, pointing to Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as the ideal replacement in Baton Rouge.

Finebaum shared his perspective on ESPN’s Get Up, explaining why Kiffin should favor LSU if both programs make offers and why the job in Baton Rouge is the best over Florida and Penn State. “It’s a close call, but in my mind, LSU is a better job,” Finebaum said. “It just has a great infrastructure down there. As I say that, I realize that they fired the last three or four coaches, but I think Lane Kiffin fits that culture pretty well. He’s familiar with it. He’s also familiar with Florida, as we said last week. But I don’t think there’s any question that of the jobs opening, LSU is going to be the one that everybody wants.”

Finebaum also said that Kelly’s dismissal was justified, citing the program’s recent decline and fan unrest. “He needed to go,” Finebaum said. “The A&M game was a complete embarrassment, and he had lost the fan base. Ultimately, it came down to whether LSU could afford to buy him out versus could they afford to keep him, and the answer became obvious.”

Lane Kiffin Considered Top Target For LSU Job

Kiffin’s name has surfaced immediately as LSU’s most prominent target. The 50-year-old has reshaped Ole Miss into a consistent national contender. The Rebels are 7-1 with their lone loss coming at Georgia, and they followed that defeat with a road win over No. 13 Oklahoma. Kiffin’s program has finished inside the top 11 in three of the past four seasons and is in position to make it four times in five years.

Finebaum believes Kiffin’s fit goes beyond on-field performance. His familiarity with the SEC and his outspoken confidence align with LSU’s high-profile culture. “Lane Kiffin would be ideal,” Finebaum said. “He’s got all the requisite experience to succeed in the SEC, showing the ability to elevate the Rebels into an annual SEC contender.”

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin and the Rebels are 7-1 after Saturday's win over Oklahoma. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The decision, however, could come down to timing. Ole Miss is in the College Football Playoff race, and Florida is also expected to pursue Kiffin aggressively following its own coaching vacancy. He also has deep ties in the state, having won two conference titles at Florida Atlantic before joining the Rebels.

If LSU moves quickly, Finebaum expects the Tigers to make Kiffin their top priority. “Of the jobs opening, LSU is going to be the one that everybody wants,” he said.

The Rebels will host South Carolina on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.