Paul Finebaum Reveals Wild College Football Coaching Prediction He Couldn't Believe

Paul Finebaum in attendance at a College Football Playoff game. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ole Miss is heading into a new era after being spurned by head coach Lane Kiffin following a great six-year run that saw the Rebels make their first College Football Playoff appearance. The Rebels would promote defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach after Kiffin left for the LSU Tigers.

Pete Golding Enters First Full Season with Expectations at Ole Miss

This was seen as somewhat of a risky move, as Golding had never been a head coach before, and Kiffin had built the Rebels into a real threat in the SEC. But Golding showed he has what it takes last season.

After the administration didn't allow Kiffin to coach the playoff run, Golding led Ole Miss to the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Rebels nearly won that game, but ultimately fell to the Miami Hurricanes in the final seconds, 31-27.

Now, there are a lot of expectations surrounding Golding heading into his first season as the full -time head coach. If he can show that what was built in Oxford wasn't just Kiffin, then he could be a hot commodity for other teams if they were to move on from their head coach.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Pete Golding speaks to the press. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Paul FInebaum Reveals Suprise Pete Golding-Alabama Possibility

In fact, while appearing on "The Next Round," ESPN's Paul Finebaum talked about a wild story that he did not even believe while attending SEC media days. He said he was told that if Golding worked out, he could eventually replace Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer.

"The funniest thing is I was talking to some Alabama person later... and they said, 'If Kalen DeBoer doesn't work out and Golding does, he'll be the next Alabama coach,'" Finebaum said. "I'm like going, 'Really?' But he made that type of impression."

There is some familiarity there. Golding spent five seasons under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa as the defensive coordinator. But if DeBoer didn't work out, it's possible that the Crimson Tide would look for someone with more experience as a head coach than Golding. Also, Golding likely wouldn't want to do the same thing his predecessor had just done.

How Likely Is It?

It's also unlikely Alabama will move on from DeBoer anytime soon. He's gone 20-8 in his two years at the helm, leading the Crimson Tide to the SEC Championship Game and the College Football Playoff last year. He also signed a contract extension this offseason.

Golding still has plenty to prove as a first-time head coach, but he has already shown he can handle pressure after guiding Ole Miss through its playoff run. Alabama appears committed to DeBoer for the foreseeable future, making Finebaum's story more hypothetical than realistic.

Even so, if Golding continues building on the foundation already in place at Ole Miss, he could eventually find himself on short lists for some of college football's biggest jobs, including one he knows very well.