Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin jokingly thanks ESPN host for playing role in USC firing: 'Grateful to you Paul'

Ole Miss football manager Lane Kiffin continues to heap praise connected ESPN's Paul Finebaum for his indirect relation successful "getting maine fired" from USC much than a decennary ago. 

Kiffin joined Nick Saban's unit at Alabama successful 2014 aft helium departed Southern California.

In 2013, Finebaum characterized Kiffin arsenic "the Miley Cyrus of assemblage football." On that aforesaid day, Kiffin was relieved of his caput coaching duties astatine USC.

"How did idiosyncratic similar Lane Kiffin ever get these jobs?" Finebaum said astatine the time. "How did helium onshore the Raiders job? At Tennessee? And peculiarly the 1 astatine SC? People deliberation it’s due to the fact that of his father, Monte, the large antiaircraft wizard. In immoderate respects, Lane Kiffin is the Miley Cyrus of assemblage football."

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Ole Miss caput manager Lane Kiffin signals to players during the 2nd fractional of a crippled Oct. 26, 2024, successful Oxford, Miss.  (AP Photo/Sarah Warnock)

Finebaum rapidly pointed retired the quality betwixt Kiffin and the euphony star, noting the manager had "very small talent." 

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"He has precise small talent, but we simply can’t instrumentality our eyes disconnected him," Finebaum said.

Kiffin, who coached Ole Miss to an upset win implicit the Georgia Bulldogs Saturday, was a impermanent connected Finebaum's ESPN programme Wednesday. Kiffin jokingly credited Finebaum for playing a portion successful his occupation ending successful 2013. 

Ole Miss caput manager Lane Kiffin looks astatine a play reappraisal during the 2nd fractional of a crippled against Oklahoma Oct. 26, 2024, successful Oxford, Miss.  (AP Photo/Sarah Warnock)

Kiffin suggested helium would not person landed consequent roles astatine Alabama, Florida Atlantic oregon his existent presumption had it not been for Finebaum's captious remarks each those years ago.

"Somebody other is going to get the Finebaum emotion determination else," said Kiffin successful notation to his analyzable past with Finebaum.

"And I’m OK with that erstwhile you instrumentality the shots. We’ve talked astir this before. It makes you better. It makes you flooded things. When you got maine fired astatine USC, we’ve said that before. Now, I’m saying I wouldn’t person been present and to person the Georgia triumph if you hadn’t gotten maine fired. I wouldn’t person gotten to enactment for Coach Saban. So I’m grateful to you Paul. Thanks for that day. Thanks for the Miley Cyrus comment."

Paul Finebaum, vigor and ESPN tv personality, gets acceptable to talk connected tv extracurricular the Superdome earlier the College Football Playoff nationalist title crippled successful New Orleans Jan. 13, 2020. (Ken Ruinard/staff via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Finebaum congratulated Kiffin for earning a signature triumph past week and said helium was "happy" to spot the manager succeed.

"Thank you manager for ever remembering that," Finebaum said. "And congratulations again. We’re each precise blessed for you. Whether we person to beryllium reminded of Miley Cyrus oregon not."

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Ole Miss was slotted successful the 11th presumption successful the latest College Football Playoff rankings. If the postseason started today, the Rebels would lucifer up with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

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