When LSU hired Matt McMahon in March 2022, it was a move rooted in necessity. The program was emerging from NCAA sanctions, the roster was in shambles, and the Tigers needed a steady hand to guide them through the turbulence.
McMahon, fresh off a stellar run at Murray State, seemed like the right guy for the job. LSU backed that belief with a long-term contract that runs through the 2028-29 season-a deal that, at the time, signaled a commitment to stability over quick results.
But in the world of SEC basketball, patience can be expensive.
The Contract: Stability at a Premium
McMahon’s deal is structured in a way that reflects both LSU’s urgency for continuity and the financial weight of that decision. His base salary is $400,000 per year, but the real money comes from supplemental compensation tied to media duties, promotional work, and other program-related responsibilities.
That supplemental pay started at $2.2 million and escalates annually, reaching $2.8 million in the final year. Add it all up, and McMahon’s total compensation clears the $3 million mark annually.
That’s a significant investment for a program still trying to find its footing in one of the toughest basketball conferences in the country.
The Buyout: A Price for Patience
Here’s where things get particularly interesting-and costly. If LSU decides to part ways with McMahon before the contract ends, the school would owe him 80% of his remaining base salary and supplemental compensation.
That’s a key detail. Many coaching contracts only factor in base salary when calculating buyouts, but McMahon’s deal includes the full package.
That means if LSU were to pull the plug with multiple years left on the deal, the buyout could push into eight-figure territory. There is standard mitigation language requiring McMahon to seek other employment, which would offset some of LSU’s obligations, but the initial hit would be substantial.
In short, the contract was designed to buy time-and it did. But if the Tigers decide that time is up, the financial consequences will be steep.
The Incentives: Built for Winning
As with most Power Conference coaching contracts, McMahon’s deal includes a range of performance-based bonuses. SEC regular-season titles, tournament championships, NCAA Tournament appearances, and deep March runs all trigger additional payouts.
These incentives reflect the expectations that come with the job-LSU didn’t bring McMahon to Baton Rouge just to steady the ship. They brought him in to win.
And to be fair, McMahon arrived with a résumé that suggested he could do just that. At Murray State, he turned the Racers into a mid-major powerhouse. Over seven seasons, he compiled a 153-67 record, won multiple conference titles, and capped his tenure with a 31-3 campaign in 2021-22 that included an undefeated run through the Ohio Valley Conference.
The Results: A Tough Climb in the SEC
But the SEC isn’t the OVC. Through his first three full seasons at LSU, McMahon’s teams have gone a combined 57-61 overall and just 15-47 in conference play. That’s a tough pill to swallow in a league where the margin for error is razor-thin and rebuilds are rarely met with sympathy.
This season looked like it might offer a turning point. The Tigers opened 12-1 and gave fans a reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, things were starting to click. But since then, the bottom has fallen out-LSU has dropped seven of its last eight games and finds itself once again near the basement of the SEC standings.
The Disconnect: Résumé vs. Reality
That contrast-between the dominance McMahon showed at Murray State and the struggles he’s faced at LSU-is at the heart of the current conversation. The contract was built to give him runway, to allow him to weather the early storms and build something sustainable. And in that sense, it’s done its job.
But with each SEC loss, the pressure mounts. The buyout looms larger. And the question becomes less about whether McMahon can turn things around, and more about how long LSU is willing to wait-and how much they’re willing to pay-for that answer.