LSU football went all in on hiring Lane Kiffin. And it worked.
Daily Advertiser reporter Corey Diaz reacted to the news that LSU football has hired Lane Kiffin as its next head coach.
Months of college football melodrama came to a long-awaited end yesterday, with Lane Kiffin announcing he would be leaving Mississippi State for SEC rival LSU.
Kiffin has become the centerpiece of a busy and sometimes unpredictable 2025 coaching merry-go-round, with the University of Florida and LSU and his current employer all vying for his services.
In the end, he chose the Tigers, firing Brian Kelly eight games into his fourth season at the school.
Kiffin has turned the Rebels into a consistent national powerhouse, going 32-6 over the past three seasons. This year, Ole Miss went 11-1, setting a program record for regular-season wins, and is widely expected to advance to the 12-team College Football Playoff field.
To take Kiffin out of a good situation, LSU had to pay a price, to say the least.
According to USA TODAY’s Daily Advertiser, Kiffin signed a seven-year contract with the Tigers worth $91 million. Here’s what you need to know about Kiffin’s reported contract details and salary at LSU.
Lane Kiffin LSU contract, salary details
- length: 7 years
- Total contract money: $91 million
- Annual average value (AAV): $13 million
Kiffin will earn an average annual salary of $13 million, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Only Georgia’s Kirby Smart earned more for the 2024 season, at $13.28 million, according to USA TODAY Sports’ coaches salary database.
That’s a significant increase from the $9 million Kiffin earned at Ole Miss, making him the 10th highest-paid coach in college football, along with Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz, Tennessee’s Josh Heupel and Kentucky’s Mark Stoops.
If Kiffin wins a national title at LSU, his salary will automatically increase, making him the highest-paid coach in the country.
In perhaps the most interesting development of the deal, LSU agreed to pay Kiffin a postseason bonus despite not coaching Ole Miss in the playoffs. That means he could earn up to $1 million if the Rebels win the national championship.
Lane Kiffin LSU Acquisition
If Kiffin is terminated by LSU without cause during the term of his contract, he will be obligated to pay 80% of his remaining salary, according to a term sheet obtained by the Lafayette Daily Advertiser.
The acquisition proceeds will be paid in monthly installments for the remainder of the transaction. Additionally, there are no mitigation or offset provisions in the event Mr. Kiffin takes another job after being fired. The buyout terms are particularly noteworthy after Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry decried long-term coaching contracts with $54 million buyouts in a press conference shortly after Kelly’s firing.
“Currently, we are $53 million in debt,” Landry said. “We don’t do that anymore. And what? I believe we’ll find a great coach. We might even get President (Donald) Trump to pick him. He loves winners. I’m not going to pick the next coach, but… , I can promise you, we’re going to choose our coaches, we’re going to make sure they’re successful, we’re going to make sure they’re compensated appropriately, and we’re going to put metrics on that, because I’m tired of rewarding failure in this country. ”
Lane Kiffin Records
Kiffin went 117-53 in 14 years as a college head coach, going 7-6 in one year at Tennessee, 28-15 in four years at Southern California, 27-13 in three years at Florida Atlantic University and 55-19 in six years at Ole Miss.
