Paul Finebaum may be nearing a dramatic turn in his career.
Less than two months from now, the veteran college football voice could be gearing up for a run at the U.S. Senate.
For now, he is still planted firmly in sports, where his takes on SEC storylines keep churning headlines.
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In recent days, he has weighed in on Auburn’s new coaching hire, Alabama’s uncertain College Football Playoff hopes, and — above all – Lane Kiffin.
Asked Monday by CNN’s Kaitlin Collins whether he planned to run for Senate next year, the 70-year-old Finebaum said he wasn’t going to give the University of Alabama graduate a “political answer.”
“It’s been difficult to concentrate on anything else lately but Lane Kiffin,” Finebaum said.
Finebaum, a host on the SEC Network and ESPN, has been critical of Kiffin’s job switch, from Ole Miss to LSU. The Rebels are ranked No. 7 in the latest CFP rankings and are on the cusp of a playoff berth.
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Finebaum, during an appearance on ESPN’s “First Take,” called Kiffin’s switch as “utterly disgraceful.”
“It’s just so typical of Lane Kiffin to do something so utterly destructive. And that’s what he did,” Finebaum said.
“If he wanted to coach these kids, as he put it, he could have. And the simple answer is he would have remained the Ole Miss football coach… And what does he do? What Lane Kiffin always does. He lights a match to the castle that he built, and he runs out of town in the middle of the night.”
Finebaum has said that he could make a job switch himself, but that a decision won’t come until after the playoffs conclude next month.
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He is considering entering a Republican field led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall and U.S. Rep. Barry Moore of Enterprise. Former Navy SEAL Jared Hudson, cattle farmer Rodney Walker, and U.S. Navy Reserve captain Morgan Murphy are also in the GOP race.
U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, a former Auburn football coach, is not seeking re-election and is, instead, running for Alabama governor in 2026. The GOP primary is May 19, 2026.
Finebaum told AL.com last month that he is unlike “professional politicians” in that he does not “wake up every day thinking about which office to run for.”
Finebaum said, “It’s true, I’ve received a lot of calls encouraging me to run for Senate and so many of them have the same theme: Alabamians are looking for someone who isn’t running for the Senate as a job promotion, they’re looking for someone who is going to fight for their families, for conservative values and for President Trump’s agenda.”
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He added, “I’m flattered that so many people think I can serve in that role for them. Like I tell everyone who calls me or stops me at the grocery store, I’ll have something to say soon.”
Finebaum told OutKick in September that he voted for Trump in 2024. He and former University of Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron – who is running for lieutenant governor next year – have said they were inspired to consider politics after the killing of Charlie Kirk.
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Read the original article on al.com.
