Lane Kiffin contract details: LSU will pay bonuses based on Ole Miss' CFP finish

On Sunday, LSU and Lane Kiffin agreed to a seven-year, $91 million deal. He joins Georgia‘s Kirby Smart as the only head coach in college football to be earning more than $13 million per year or more. Alas, Kiffin’s 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. Thus, Kiffin will earn $150,000 if Ole Miss plays in the first round, and could rake in up to $1 million if Ole Miss wins the national championship.

Kiffin said he wanted to finish the season with Ole Miss and coach the Rebels in the College Football Playoff. However, Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter wouldn’t allow Kiffin to continue to coach Ole Miss with the knowledge he’d accepted an offer from LSU.

Instead, Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach. He will lead the Rebels during the postseason.

Ole Miss landed at No. 7 in the latest CFP rankings, but it’s unclear how Kiffin’s exit will affect the Rebels’ seeding. Kiffin wasn’t alone. He’s bringing offensive coordinator Charlie Weis, wide receivers coach George McDonald, tight ends coach Joe Cox and others with him to LSU.

The CFP selection committee could alter their rankings due to the massive losses on Ole Miss’ staff. Kiffin owed Ole Miss $3 million for leaving the school. LSU agreed to pay the buyout. If LSU fires Kiffin, it will owe him 80% of his remaining salary.

Ole Miss fans won’t be happy to hear Kiffin will benefit from their team’s success. It was an ugly separation between the two sides on Sunday, with Ole Miss fans cursing at Kiffin as he boarded a plane to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Per On3’s Chris Low, Kiffin threatened to “poach” players and staff from Ole Miss if he couldn’t coach into the postseason. Moreover, the 50-year-old head coach reportedly told his offensive staff that if they didn’t join him on the plane to LSU, there wouldn’t be a spot waiting for them in the future.

Ole Miss fans will be looking forward to when Kiffin returns to Oxford to face the Rebels in 2026. Of course, until then, the Rebels will be focused on finishing the season strong. On Dec. 7, the CFP selection committee will reveal the official bracket.