Lane Kiffin signs contract extension with Ole Miss
Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss have agreed to a contract extension, the university announced.
The details of the extension have not yet been made public, but Kiffin initially signed a five-year contract with Ole Miss, which was set to expire after the 2024 season. His first contract worth $4.5 million annually in base salary, with a $500,000 retention bonus, among other incentive-based bonuses.
The university’s press release came in rather unexpected fashion, as Ole Miss announced the move just seconds after the clock hit zero on the SEC Championship game.
Kiffin led Ole Miss to a 10-2 record, the first 10-win season in program history, and with the latest Egg Bowl win, the Rebels punched a ticket to a New Year’s Six bowl game. Currently ranked No. 8 in the AP Poll, the Rebels were paced by Kiffin’s dynamic offense, which averaged over 500 yards per contest.
It took Kiffin just two seasons to turn around the Ole Miss football program, as he inherited a team in 2020 that had not gone .500 or better since 2015. In his first season, the COVID-19 abbreviated season, Kiffin was still able to amass a 5-5 record and win the Egg Bowl.
“We are extremely appreciative of Chancellor Glenn Boyce, Director of Athletics Keith Carter, and the entire Ole Miss administration for their commitment and support of our football program,” Kiffin said in a press release. “Sustained success takes a commitment from everyone, and we are excited to continue the work to build a program that makes the entire Ole Miss community proud. I have a tremendous amount of gratitude for our fans, players, and staff. The future is bright! Hotty Toddy.”
Kiffin served as the head coach of Florida Atlantic before his arrival in Oxford, stringing together a 27-13 overall record in three seasons at the helm. While with FAU, Kiffin took over a program that went just 3-9 in the year prior to his arrival, and he immediately turned it around to the tune of an 11-3 record. He won two bowl games at FAU, ending the Owls’ drought; the program had not won a bowl game since 2008.
“We are committed to winning championships at Ole Miss, and Coach Kiffin is the person to lead us to those heights,” Ole MIss athletic director Keith Carter said. “With his winning edge, offensive vision and recruiting prowess, he has quickly cemented our team among the best in the nation, and this is just the start. With major facility projects on the horizon, we are investing in this program like never before and look forward to building on the foundation that Coach Kiffin has established.”
Kiffin had a history in the SEC before landing at Ole Miss. He served as Alabama’s offensive coordinator from 2014-2016, and for one season served as Tennessee’s head coach, before departing in quick fashion for the USC job.
Kiffin has a 77-41 overall record in 10 years as a head coach, spanning across Tennessee, USC, FAU and Ole Miss. He has only finished sub-.500 once in his career, when the FAU Owls went 5-7 in his second year at the helm.