Paul Finebaum Goes Scorched Earth on a Major College Football Coach

The Ole Miss Rebels and the LSU Tigers are going to be forever linked after what took place this past season.

The Rebels, led by then-head coach Lane Kiffin, had their most successful season in the College Football Playoff era, going 13-2 and making their first CFP appearance. Kiffin coached 12 of those games, going 11-1. That marked his fourth double-digit-win season in the last five years.

Lane Kiffin's Departure Left Ole Miss With a Bitter Taste

However, after the regular-season finale against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, Kiffin elected to spurn the Rebels and take the LSU head coaching job. As a result, Ole Miss' administration didn't allow Kiffin to coach the playoff run, instead promoting defensive coordinator Pete Golding to the top position.

Since then, Kiffin has taken some shots at Ole Miss and, more specifically, Oxford. Kiffin stated in an interview this offseason that it was hard to recruit to Oxford due to the lack of diversity and, as a result, recruits' families wouldn't let them attend Ole Miss. That's why he thinks he's set up for more success at LSU.

Former Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin talks with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss (6) during a college football game. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Takes Aim at Kiffin After Ole Miss Exit

On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst gave a harsh critique of the Tigers' head coach.

"I just have to accept it, and the only thing that really frustrated me for the last two or three years was it had to do with Ole Miss fans believing him," Finebaum said. "I don't mean to paint with a broad brush, but I will; nobody can believe Lane Kiffin. He's out for himself. That isn't a shot. It's the truth... he's always going to be the star in his own movie. It's not his players. It's not his university. It's him."

LSU's New Head Coach Faces Plenty of Expectations

Kiffin now has an opportunity to prove that his success at Ole Miss was not simply a product of the situation he inherited. LSU has significantly more resources and recruiting advantages, but it also comes with substantially greater expectations.

The Tigers expect to compete for SEC championships and College Football Playoff berths, and Kiffin has been given the roster and resources to make that possible. His success will ultimately be judged by what happens on the field, not by his comments about his former home.

For now, though, Finebaum's criticism adds another layer to one of the most intriguing coaching storylines in the SEC. Kiffin left Ole Miss at the height of its program momentum, and now he has to deliver at LSU.

If Kiffin can turn LSU into a national championship contender, his decision will look like a masterstroke. If he can't, the questions surrounding his departure from Ole Miss and Finebaum's criticism of his motives will only get louder.

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