Lane Kiffin and Paul Finebaum supposedly squashed their beef, which dates back more than a decade. However, the former recently humbled the latter with a vicious quip at SEC Media Days in Dallas.
It was a mortal blow!
Before we jump ahead to present day, there is first a lot to understand about the past. This full story dates back to 2013.
Kiffin was famously fired by USC on the tarmac after a loss to Arizona State. He was let go from his dream job after a 3-2 start in year four. The Trojans were still reeling from the Reggie Bush scandal, which resulted in significant NCAA sanctions, including a bowl ban and recruiting limitations.
Even though Kiffin went 8-5, 10-2 and 7-6 in his first two seasons at USC, with the equivalent of one hand behind his back, he was cut loose. Pete Carroll’s dominant run from 2002-2008 set extremely high expectations that were simply unattainable while on probation.
Finebaum’s comments did not help Kiffin’s case. The first-year ESPN analyst referred to the head coach as the “Miley Cyrus of college football” on College GameDay.
Miley Cyrus was at her most controversial at the time. His comments came shortly after the eye-popping performance with Robin Thicke at MTV Awards.
To compare Kiffin to Cyrus in that era, in that manner, on such a prominent platform was bold. It stuck.
Kiffin (not-so) jokingly blames his ouster on Finebaum’s comments, even to this day!
Although the two SEC colleagues have agreed to call a truce and remain cordial, there is still some underlying tension between them. Kiffin called Finebaum an “angry little man” during a larger discussion about NIL last summer. They often criticize each other for how they approach their respective jobs.
It usually starts with the analyst, which leads the head coach to respond.
Lane Kiffin humbled Paul Finebaum!
The most recent exchange began at the beginning of July and concluded in Dallas earlier this week. They came face-to-face for the first time in 2024 at SEC Media Days.
Finebaum said that he does not find Kiffin’s online presence to be as funny as everyone makes it out to be and questioned whether Ole Miss is a legitimate national championship contended because he has yet to see the 49-year-old head coach win the big game.
In defense of his comments, the SEC Network host tried to play it off as a friend messing with a friend. He said that he and Kiffin were texting back and forth on the 4th of July and claimed that his jab about social media was a “throw away line” that was taken out of context.
Kiffin didn’t seem to care about the most recent comments during his appearance on the Paul Finebaum Show. The (friendly?) discussion focused more on the comments from 2013.
Finebaum just had to sit there while Kiffin (jokingly?) quipped about all of the things he got wrong and thanked him (with tongue partially in cheek) for changing the trajectory of his life for the better.
"Really, I don't know what you're good at. You predicted Coach Saban was done — that didn't happen. You basically said Miley Cyrus stinks, and she's still going."
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) July 18, 2024
– Lane Kiffin with a little ribbing of Paul Finebaum. 😂
(H/T @JustOKsport) pic.twitter.com/2QVF62dUk6
Whether it was intended in a playful manner or not, “I don’t really know what you’re good at” is ice cold! Lane Kiffin knocked Paul Finebaum down a notch and it was long overdue.