Paul Finebaum: Lane Kiffin has done a disservice to Ole Miss through coaching rumors

Paul Finebaum claimed Lane Kiffin has done a disservice to Ole Miss throughout all of the coaching rumors over the last few weeks. Whether he stays or not, Kiffin isn’t helping the school at this current time, according to the long time ESPN commentator.

LSU and Florida are in hot pursuit of Kiffin’s services while Ole Miss is trying to retain them. Kiffin and AD Keith Carter promised some sort of resolution or answer after Friday’s Egg Bowl, but it’s anyone’s guess right now.

“I don’t think it’s going to affect them that much, because by now, I think they’re used to Lane Kiffin and maybe getting it out of the way last week, and by Friday, it will have calmed down a little bit,” Finebaum said on McElroy and Cubelic. “But I mean, it’s mostly a media generated story, except that there’s a ring master (and it) is Lane Kiffin and Jimmy Sexton, and at any point, at any time, they could have put an end to it.

“And that is why I think most people are leaning into ‘Oh, he has to be leaving,’ even though all three of us know Lane Kiffin, he may have let me stop myself right there and say this, if he ends up staying at Ole Miss, I think he has done that program a disservice by humiliating them in the process.” 

Finebaum is actually baffled about Ole Miss and anyone related to the school subjecting themselves to this situation. But Kiffin could end up having the last laugh.

“Anybody who cares about a university would not subject themselves to what has happened, although we all know that Kiffin on Saturday, assuming he stays there, will blame this on a bunch of reporters who had bad information, even though he could have denied this at any at any point at any time,” Finebaum said. “I’m now doing a Keith Carter statement for something you summed up about three and a half minutes ago. Lane Kiffin is loving every minute of this.”

Ole Miss chancellor Glenn Boyce appeared on the Mornings with Richard Cross radio show on Monday and was asked about last week’s meeting between the three. He said there is no new info regarding Kiffin.

“We put the statement out and the statement pretty much speaks for itself,” Boyce said. “Talks will continue. They will continue through the week between coach Kiffin and Keith. But our focus and our emphasis right now, and we’re determined to be focused on this, is winning this last football game. Being an 11-1 team and being the first team in history of the University of Mississippi to make the College Football Playoffs and if we’re not seeded higher than we currently are then to have one of the greatest sporting events to ever come to Mississippi and that would be a home playoff game.”