Lane Kiffin is leaving Ole Miss after six seasons, announcing Saturday that he has accepted the head coaching job at LSU. After weeks of intense speculation surrounding Kiffin’s future, we now have confirmation that he is heading elsewhere.
The news comes two days after Ole Miss’ 38-19 victory over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl. The win not only gave Oxford an 11-win season for the first time in school history, but it also virtually guaranteed Ole Miss a College Football Playoff bid.
Kiffin will not coach the Rebels during the playoff, as Ole Miss is instead giving the reins to defensive coordinator Pete Golding for the remainder of the 2025 season and beyond.
LSU is now getting a proven winner — a coach who delivered four double-digit win seasons at Ole Miss over six years.
Let’s take a look at Kiffin’s contract details with his new gig.
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Lane Kiffin LSU contract details
- Years: Seven
- Amount: $12 million per year
The details of Kiffin's contract have not yet been officially released. But we have a good idea of what his salary is expected to be.
ESPN reported that Kiffin's contract was expected to be a seven-year deal that would pay him $12 million annually.
The Advocate reported earlier last week that LSU has offered Kiffin a $13 million salary over seven years, which would have made him college football's highest-paid head coach. The newspaper added that the school was prepared to commit $25-30 million per year for roster-building.
Lane Kiffin new salary
Kiffin will reportedly make $12 million annually, which makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football. Currently, Georgia's Kirby Smart makes over $13 million a year, with Ohio State's Ryan Day making over $12 million.
Wherever his salary stacks up compared to Day will put him up near the top of the highest-paid coaches in the country.
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How much did Ole Miss offer Lane Kiffin?
Ole Miss reportedly was set to match LSU's reported offerings around $13 million a year, but it's unclear if the numbers matched LSU's exactly.
Kiffin's salary in 2025 was right at $9 million per USA Today, which made him the 11th highest-paid head coach in college football. According to the Clarion Ledger, Kiffin signed a six-year extension worth $54 million in 2023 with Ole Miss.
How much money will Lane Kiffin make at LSU?
Although Kiffin's salary is expected to be $12 million per year, ESPN adds that the deal will include the potential for bonuses. $12 million over seven years is about $84 million, but with various bonuses and other incentives in the contract, Kiffin could be making close to $90 million in Baton Rouge.
Highest-paid college football coaches
Here's a look at some of the highest-paid coaches in college football, according to USA Today's database. Indiana's Curt Cignetti signed a new contract earlier this season, putting his salary at $11.6 million. For this, we'll use 2025 salaries.
- Georgia's Kirby Smart: $13,282,580
- Ohio State's Ryan Day: $12,575,000
- LSU's Lane Kiffin*: $12,000,000
- Indiana's Curt Cignetti: $11.6 million
- USC's Lincoln Riley: $11,537,560
- Clemson's Dabo Swinney: $11,447,025
- Texas' Steve Sarkisian: $10,800,000
- Oregon's Dan Lanning: $10,400,000
- Alabama's Kalen DeBoer: $10,250,000
- UNC's Bill Belichick: $10,100,000
*reported annual salary amount
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