Lane Kiffin contract: Details reported for new head coach of LSU

Lane Kiffin enters this week as the new head coach at LSU. He’ll now become one of the sport’s highest-paid in doing so, based on the latest reporting on his contract details this morning out of Baton Rouge.

As confirmed by On3’s Chris Low, after reporting as well by Wilson Alexander at the Advocate, Kiffin will be on a seven-year, $91 million contract, around the mark of $13 million a year in salary, with the Tigers. That will make him among the highest-paid coaches in all of college football, with Georgia’s Kirby Smart being the only one currently set above that average with a close second going to Ohio State’s Ryan Day – which is noteworthy as they’re two of the three active coaches who have won a national title with their teams having won three of the last four national championships in the College Football Playoff.

However, incentives-wise, Kiffin could become the highest-paid coach in the nation. Winning a national title of his own would, at this time, get him over the top as far as salary goes. That was before further reporting that LSU will pay Kiffin what he would have earned in incentives on his last deal pending how his former team performs in the CFP.

According to the term sheet, acquired by a public records request, as well, Kiffin will be owed an 80% buyout, to be paid monthly through the remainder of his deal, if fired, but with no clause for mitigation or an offset, by LSU. That’s also of note considering how the firing played out over the past month for Brian Kelly, with the Tigers now set to pay him his full buyout of $54 million.

For reference, Kiffin was within the top-ten or top-fifteen or so with his reported salary at Ole Miss. That’s as he was being paid around $9 million per year by the end of his tenure with the Rebels.

This was a long, thought-out process for Kiffin in choosing to leave Ole Miss for LSU. He’ll be paid very handsomely for it, though, in heading to the bayou to become the next coach for the Tigers.

Further contract details for Kiffin: LSU will pay bonuses based on Ole Miss’ finish in CFP

On Sunday, Lane Kiffin agreed to a seven-year, $91 million deal with LSU. Alas, that mind-boggling salary wasn’t the only part of his contract that garnered attention.

Per The Advocate, LSU will pay Kiffin what he would’ve earned in incentives from Ole Miss for the Rebels’ postseason run in the College Football Playoff. Thus, Kiffin will earn $150,000 if Ole Miss plays in the first round, and could rake in up to a million dollars if Ole Miss wins the national championship.