Urban Meyer couldn’t resist taking a jab at Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry on Wednesday, pointing out the disconnect between the governor’s public frustration over insane coaching contracts and LSU’s decision to hand Lane Kiffin one of the sport’s richest deals.
On the latest The Triple Option podcast, Meyer highlighted Landry’s recent promise that LSU would avoid the massive guarantees. It's one of the underlying causes to the current coaching carousel.
What sounds good doesn’t always make the final cut. The Tigers hired Kiffin away from Ole Miss on a seven-year, $91 million contract.
“This is after the governor said we will not have those contracts again,” Meyer said. “Lane, I looked it up. It’s a guaranteed contract. The same agent. I mean, my God.”
Landry had publicly criticized LSU’s $54 million buyout of former coach Brian Kelly, questioned the influence of agent Jimmy Sexton, and insisted the next coach would operate under a “totally different contract.”
But in reality, LSU delivered another fully guaranteed deal with no offset clause and an 80% buyout provision. The school will even pay Kiffin’s College Football Playoff bonus earned at Ole Miss.
Co-host Mark Ingram agreed, suggesting Landry played a role in approving the hire. “He had them ponying up.”
LSU takes another gamble with championship upside if Kiffin thrives. Otherwise, another costly reset will be coming in the near future.
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