ESPN radio host Paul Finebaum has long been one of the most respected voices on college football in the country, primarily the SEC. But on Wednesday, the Memphis native offered a harsh assessment on the Tigers football program.

Speaking on "Jason & John" on 92.9 FM ESPN, Finebaum called the state of Memphis' program embarrassing. He aimed most of his criticism at the administration for deciding that coach Ryan Silverfield will return for a fourth season after going 6-6 for a second consecutive regular season.

"Tragic is a big word for a kid who grew up sitting there rooting for Memphis State in my youth. I find this to be very disturbing," Finebaum said. "Like a lot of listeners right now, I was so proud and so excited over the last 5-6 years to see the quarterbacks come through there. The really great football coaches. And this is dreary and depressing.

"Quite frankly, it's embarrassing that a program, however they say it, has to admit we don't really want the guy as our head coach but we don't have the money to fire him. That is the worst message you can give. Your job as an athletic director and as a president is to find the money to support your program, not to wave a white flag."

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Silverfield has three years remaining on his contract and his buyout is close to $3.5 million. Memphis will play in its ninth consecutive bowl game in December but has finished seventh and eighth in the AAC the past two seasons.

Finebaum added that it's hard for schools like Memphis to find help in the transfer portal because they're competing with more schools to attract with name, image and likeness opportunities. Memphis also has to compete harder with recruits at home with SEC schools also recruiting the city.

But he also said that schools comfortable being status quo are nobodies in the bigger picture of the college football ecosystem. That's where he thinks Memphis will be if it continues staying on this trajectory under Silverfield or if administrators are more worried about costs than being successful.

"It's just hard for me to understand. I realize you lose good coaches and they're very difficult to replace. But it just puts a premium on the decision making of the athletic department," Finebaum said. "It's a terrible decision. Just go bring somebody else in, change the dynamics. If you can't afford to pay him off, why would I as a 17-year-old go play at Memphis if I've got a better offer or a comparable offer."

This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: ESPN's Paul Finebaum: Memphis football's program is 'embarrassing'