Ole Miss Coach Lane Kiffin Grills ESPN Analyst for Trashing Him in the Past: ‘I Don’t Really Know What You’re Good At’

Ole Miss football coach Lane Kiffin made sure to remind ESPN’s Paul Finebaum about the harsh criticism he gave him when he was at the University of Southern California.

During SEC Media Days on Monday, Kiffin appeared on The Paul Finebaum Show to talk about the season ahead. When the conversation shifted to the retirement of Alabama coach Nick Saban , Kiffin reflected on his time as one of his coordinators and the risk Saban took in hiring him.

“He wasn’t afraid to take risks,” Kiffin told Finebaum. “He took a risk on me, He’s taken a risk on other coaches, and gave me a chance when critical. I don’t know what you said when he hired me that day, but there were some people down there critical.

Finebaum assured him that he praised the hiring; but he didn’t appreciate the rumor that he was the reason Kiffin was previously fired from USC. Although Kiffin took full responsibility for the firing, he claimed Finebaum’s criticism on TV wasn’t helpful.

“I got myself fired at USC, but you didn’t help,” Kiffin said. “You really didn’t because it is a true story that the athletic director and the president were on that trip. We were playing that night, and you were on College GameDay and you had to make your big splash; and they were watching it because I knew the other person in the room that was watching it with them. And you said what a joke I was, that I’m the ‘ Miley Cyrus of college football coaching,’ and I should be fired; and they looked at each other and later that night, I was fired.”

Finebaum joked that similar to Kiffin, Cyrus’ career has also seen a recent resurgence.

“So you were wrong on that,” Kiffin said. “I mean, you put me down with that; so really, I don’t really know what you’re good at. You really Coach Saban was done. That didn’t happen. You basically said Miley Cyrus stinks, and she’s still going.”

Finebaum took it surprisingly well as the show went to commercial.

“Well anyway,” he said, “it’s always great to be ridiculed by Lane Kiffin here at SEC Media Days.”

Watch above via SEC Network.