ESPN host Paul Finebaum played a role in USC's firing of Lane Kiffin, and the Ole Miss coach jokingly thanked him for it.

Lane Kiffin continues to praise Paul Finebaum for indirectly contributing to his firing from USC over a decade ago.

In 2014, Nick Saban recruited Kiffin to his staff at Alabama, following his departure from Southern California.

In 2013, Kiffin was fired as head coach at USC, and Finebaum compared him to Miley Cyrus in college football.

"How did Lane Kiffin manage to secure these jobs?" Finebaum questioned at the time. "What about the Raiders job? At Tennessee? And especially at SC? Many believe it's due to his father, Monte, the renowned defensive strategist. In a way, Lane Kiffin is the Miley Cyrus of college football."

Kiffin and the music star differ significantly, with the coach possessing "very little talent," Finebaum highlighted.

"Despite having minimal talent, it's hard to look away from him," Finebaum stated.

Kiffin, who led Ole Miss to an upset victory over Georgia on Saturday, appeared on Finebaum's ESPN show on Wednesday. Kiffin joked that Finebaum played a role in his job loss in 2013.

If it were not for Finebaum's critical remarks, Kiffin would not have landed subsequent roles at Alabama, Florida Atlantic, or his current position.

Kiffin stated that someone else would receive the Finebaum love elsewhere due to his complicated history with Finebaum.

"I am okay with you taking the shots, as we have discussed before. It helps you improve and overcome challenges. Remember when you got me fired at USC? We had talked about that before. Now, I realize that I wouldn't have been here or had the Georgia win if you hadn't gotten me fired. I am grateful to you, Paul. Thank you for that day and for your Miley Cyrus comment."

Kiffin received a congratulatory message from Finebaum after earning a signature win last week, with Finebaum expressing his happiness at the coach's success.

"Congratulations coach," Finebaum said. "We're all very happy for you. Whether we have to be reminded of Miley Cyrus or not."

The latest College Football Playoff rankings placed Ole Miss in the 11th position. If the postseason began today, the Rebels would face off against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Subscribe to the Planet Chronicle Sports Huddle newsletter and follow Planet Chronicle Digital's sports coverage on X.