Lane Kiffin Cashes In: LSU Makes a Blockbuster Move with $91M Deal
Lane Kiffin is heading to Baton Rouge, and he’s doing it in style. The newly minted LSU head coach just landed a seven-year, $91 million deal that instantly places him among the elite earners in college football. At $13 million per year before incentives, Kiffin now sits in rarefied air - alongside Georgia’s Kirby Smart and Ohio State’s Ryan Day - as one of only three coaches pulling in more than $12 million annually.
This isn’t just a big payday - it’s a statement. LSU didn’t just want a head coach; they wanted that head coach. And they paid accordingly.
A Contract Built for the Big Stage
Kiffin’s deal is loaded with performance-based incentives, but one clause in particular stands out: if he delivers a national championship to LSU, his salary automatically escalates to make him the highest-paid coach in the country. That’s not just confidence - that’s a program betting big on its future.
But perhaps the most unusual wrinkle in the contract is what LSU agreed to pay backward. If Ole Miss - the team Kiffin just left - makes a run and wins the national title without him, Kiffin still stands to collect up to $1 million in postseason bonuses. That’s right: he could win big even if he's not on the sideline.
It’s a rare move in college football contracts, and it speaks to how hard LSU was willing to push to get their guy.
Buyout Terms Tilt in Kiffin’s Favor
If things go south in Baton Rouge, Kiffin’s deal still protects him. Should LSU decide to fire him without cause, the school would owe him 80% of the remaining value of his contract - paid out monthly - and here’s the kicker: there’s no offset clause.
That means even if Kiffin takes another job, LSU still foots the bill. It’s a coach-friendly contract in every sense of the word.
A Hot Commodity on the Market
LSU wasn’t the only program chasing Kiffin. At least three schools were in the mix, but it’s clear LSU made the most aggressive play - and it paid off. Kiffin leaves Ole Miss with a 117-53 career record over 14 seasons at the college level, but it’s his final act in Oxford that likely sealed this deal.
On Black Friday, Kiffin led Ole Miss to its first-ever 11-win regular season, a historic achievement that likely locked in the program’s first College Football Playoff berth. That kind of success - especially in the SEC - doesn’t go unnoticed.
Fallout in Oxford
Kiffin’s departure wasn’t exactly smooth, and it’s left Ole Miss scrambling with the postseason looming. The Rebels quickly promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to the permanent head coaching role. Now, Golding and his staff have just a few weeks to regroup and prepare for a shot at the national title - without the coach who got them there.
It’s a high-stakes shuffle at the top of college football, and Kiffin’s move to LSU may end up being one of the most impactful coaching changes in recent memory. The Tigers are betting big, and they’ve handed the keys to a coach who’s never been afraid to swing for the fences.
Now, the question isn’t whether Kiffin got paid - it’s whether he can turn that investment into championships. Baton Rouge is ready. Let’s see if Kiffin is too.