Paul Finebaum Makes Prediction For Lane Kiffin's Future At LSU

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In one of the biggest coaching moves of the college football season, Lane Kiffin jumped ship from Ole Miss to LSU before the College Football Playoff. There's been no shortage of conversations about that move and Paul Finebaum has some new predictions on what it means.

Appearing on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum predicted that Kiffin is likely going to get "the last laugh" in Baton Rouge. He pointed out that Kiffin now has more resources than ever before to build a team in his image and that the embarrassment of December can give way to greatness.

"In the end, I believe Lane Kiffin is going to come out of this very well," Finebaum said.

"He took a chance. He took a hit, but ultimately, what was he trying to accomplish? He was trying to get to LSU in a position to be a contender. And he has done that.

"So, as ugly as early December was, as embarrassing as late December looked, and even into January, while Ole Miss was beating Georgia and making a run at a national championship, and Lane Kiffin was being cooked by everyone, including me. He may very well have the last laugh.

"He has put together an amazing portal roster. Could he have done it, coaching up until a week ago? I don't think he could have. So, he gambled, and I think, in the end, Lane Kiffin will be the ultimate winner, in spite of all the mud, in spite of all the egg, in spite of all the criticisms. Lane Kiffin is in a very strong position this morning.

"He's never been in a place quite like this. Tennessee was outstanding. Ole Miss had a lot of things going for it, but neither Tennessee nor Ole Miss equals LSU.

"He's a smart coach. He's got a good staff. He has a place where the resources are endless, and the facilities are top-notch, so ultimately, I think he has every single thing going for him."

Finebaum & Kiffin

The "feud" between Finebaum and Kiffin dates back literal decades. Finebaum used to dismiss Kiffin for his controversial decision to leave Tennessee and become the head coach of USC, but completely changed his tone about Kiffin once he joined Ole Miss in 2020.

Incidentally, Kiffin saw what Finebaum said and joked about it on social media:

"Welcome back (Finebaum) we missed you," he wrote.

Welcome back @finebaum we missed you. https://t.co/FQKgJZCios

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 28, 2026

Kiffin made a ton of enemies, particularly in Oxford, Mississippi, with his high-profile move to LSU at the end of last year. If he doesn't get the Tigers back to SEC title contention – let alone national title contention – within a year, he's going to become the laughingstock of the college football world.

Though given Kiffin's response to most of the discourse around him for years and years, that doesn't seem to bother him.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Jan 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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