Paul Finebaum Names SEC Head Coach With the Most Power in College Football

ESPN broadcaster Paul Finebaum during media da. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin is one of the most polarizing figures in college football. This comes from his big personality, and not having any issue with roughing feathers.

Lane Kiffin One of the Most Polarizing Figures in College Football

Kiffin is entering his first year in Baton Rouge after spending six seasons as the head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Kiffin went 55-19 at Ole Miss, leading the team to double-digit-win seasons in four of the final five seasons. That included last year's 11-1 season, in which the team made the College Football Playoff for the first time in college football.

Now, he comes to LSU with the goal of making the Tigers a consistent contender in the SEC as he did in Oxford. LSU hasn't been relevant in the national landscape since winning the national championship in 2019.

LSU Tigers head coach Lane Kiffin speaks to the press. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul Finebaum Calls Kiffin the Most Powerful Coach in College Football

There's reason to believe in Kiffin after the successful run he had at Ole Miss. Kiffin has more resources in Baton Rouge than he did in Oxford. On top of that, ESPN's Paul Finebaum revealed on "The Paul Finebaum Show" that Kiffin is the most powerful coach in college football.

"There is no place in America where the football coach has more power than at LSU," Finebaum said. "... Lane Kiffin doesn't care about the president at LSU. He probably doesn't even know his name because Lane Kiffin knows if he has a problem, he runs down the street to the governor and says, 'I need some help.' And that governor down there... is going to do what he wants him to do."

Finebaum's comments highlight one of the biggest advantages Kiffin has at LSU: the resources and influence surrounding the program. Now he has an opportunity to do it at a program with even greater expectations and resources.

Kiffin Has the Resources to Make LSU a Contender Again

Kiffin's six-year run at Ole Miss demonstrated that he can turn a program into a consistent contender. His impressive record and making the College Football Playoff proved that he can compete at the highest level.

LSU will expect more than that. The Tigers have won three national championships since 2003, including the 2019 title led by Joe Burrow, and the program expects to compete for championships regularly.

If Finebaum is right about Kiffin's influence in Baton Rouge, the LSU coach could have everything he needs to make the Tigers a national powerhouse once again.