Lane Kiffin buyout, contract details as Ole Miss Rebels coach

Jeff Hauser

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Lane Kiffin buyout, contract details as Ole Miss Rebels coach image

Lane Kiffin is currently the tenth highest-paid coach in college football. His original contract with Ole Miss was a four-year deal worth $16.2 million, starting with a salary of $3.9 million in 2020 and increasing by $100,000 each season. However, that quickly changed when he signed a multi-year extension in 2021.

According to the Clarion Ledger, he signed a six-year extension worth $54 million in 2023. But Kiffin's deal includes a clause to add a year to his contract, if Ole Miss' hits a seventh regular season win. Since this has happened three times, Kiffin's contract now runs through Dec. 31, 2031. The added year will be worth $9 million with $7.2 million guaranteed.

Ole Miss has posted a 10-1 record the 2025 season. The only loss came at Georgia with a 43-35 result. Kiffin's success with the Rebels has led to him being the hottest name during this cycle. LSU and Florida have been linked to the veteran coach.

Given the rumors about his future and reports of Kiffin's family taking trips to both Baton Rouge and Gainesville, here's the details of his contract, including a formal buyout agreement that decreases each year he stays in Oxford.

Lane Kiffin's buyout terms

According to USA Today Sports, Kiffin would owe Ole Miss a "flat fee" around $4 million, if he terminated his contract on or before Dec. 31, 2025.

Before Dec 31, 2025: $4 million

Before Dec 31, 2026: $3 million

Before Dec 31, 2027: $2 million

After Jan 1, 2028: $1.5 million

However, if Ole Miss fired Kiffin without cause, he would be owed $36.6 million before December 31, 2025, according to USA TODAY Sports. This amount currently ranks as the sixth-most expensive buyout in the SEC and No. 13 nationally.

Kiffin's contract states he has no duty to mitigate, meaning any future earnings would not offset the amount owed to him by the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation.

Lane Kiffin's bonuses

Kiffin's contract at Ole Miss includes incentives for potential team and individual achievements.

Regular season and bowl games

$50,000 for the Birmingham Bowl or Independence Bowl

$100,000 for the Taxslayer, Outback, Belk, Music City, Texas or Liberty bowls

$125,000 for the Citrus Bowl

$100,000: Every non-conference win over P4 opponent

$150,000: Every SEC win starting with fifth of the season

Postseason and College Football Playoff

$150,000: Playing in SEC Championship Game

$400,000: Win SEC Championship Game

$150,000: Ole Miss to CFP

$250,000 CFP Quarterfinal Game Participant

$500,000: CFP Semifinal Game Participant

$750,000: CFP Final Game Participant

$1 million: National Championship

Personal achievements

$50,000: SEC Coach of the Year

$100,000: National Coach of the Year

Kiffin could also receive up to $200,000 in ticket sales bonuses if the Rebels sell over 40,000 non-student season tickets.

Perks from Ole Miss

Personal air travel up to 30 hour per year.

Ole Miss provides him with the use of two automobiles, a membership for the Country Club of Oxford, use of a cell phone, a suite at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium during home games, eight priority-level tickets for home and away games and 18 priority-level tickets for postseason games.

Academic Performance Rate ("APR") as defined by the NCAA for the Program, as follows:

$100,000: APR above 950

$150,000: APR above 975

What Kiffin said about Ole Miss

Here is what Kiffin has said about the late-season rumors.

"I love what we're doing here," Kiffin said after the win over Florida when asked about his future at Ole Miss. "Today was awesome. To even talk about it right now would be so disrespectful to our players and how well they played today. We've got a lot of things going here. Doing really well, and I love it here."