Report: Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss agree on extension that will pay him $9 million annually

After he turned down the head coaching job at Auburn, the expectation was Lane Kiffin would sign a contract extension at Ole Miss. The two sides came to an agreement Tuesday, Sports Illustrated’s Ross Dellenger reported.

Kiffin’s new deal is for six years with a $9 million per year salary, Dellenger reported. There’s also a roll-over to a seventh year as part of the agreement.

After Auburn fired Bryan Harsin, rumors swirled connecting Kiffin to the Tigers’ job. In the days leading up to the Egg Bowl on Thanksgiving, that noise grew even louder, but On3’s Matt Zenitz and OM Spirit’s Ben Garrett reported Kiffin told his players he was likely staying barring any significant changes. However, he didn’t want to announce anything until after the rivalry game — a 24-22 loss to Mississippi State — so he didn’t take anything away from the matchup.

Although rumors kept swirling even into the Egg Bowl, Kiffin had already told his team he was planning to stay put in Oxford rather than take the head coach job at Auburn. The job eventually went to Hugh Freeze.

“I had a meeting with the team and the staff and told them I was staying and it would be announced after the game,” Kiffin said, via ESPN’s Chris Low. “I didn’t want it to be about me staying before the game, but about the team.”

During his time in Oxford, Kiffin has amassed a 23-12 record, including an 8-4 mark this year heading into whichever bowl game the Rebels draw. He’s also proving his ability to effectively use NIL and the transfer portal in recruiting as quarterback Jaxson Dart and running back Zach Evans both made an instant impact upon their arrivals from other schools. Additionally, freshman Quinshon Judkins became one of the top running backs in the SEC by rushing for a league-leading 1,474 yards.