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Lane Kiffin is the next head coach of the LSU Tigers, but he will not finish his 2025 season with the Ole Miss Rebels despite helping them qualify for the College Football Playoff.
But under his new contract with the Tigers, it appears Kiffin will be paid for the Rebels’ success if they wanted a shot at the national title.
LSU reportedly agreed to pay Kiffin the same bonuses he was set to receive with Ole Miss if they were to get the CFP, according to Nola.com. If the Rebels are in the final bracket selected by the CFP committee, Kiffin was going to receive $150,000 from Ole Miss just for playing a game in the first round.
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Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin in the fourth quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium on November 2, 2024. (Nelson Chenault/Imagn Images)
Better yet, Kiffin stood to earn $250,000 if the team reached the quarterfinals, $500,000 for a semifinal appearance, and $750,000 if Ole Miss reached the national championship.
In the event Ole Miss won this title game, Kiffin was to receive $1 million.
LANE KIFFIN POSTS CRYPTIC MESSAGE THE DAY AFTER TAKING JOB AS LSU HEAD COACH
While Kiffin made the decision to head to Baton Rouge next season, he wanted to finish the season as head coach of the Rebels, no matter how far they reached the playoffs. However, he pointed the finger at Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter, who he said refused the request to stay at Ole Miss until the end of their season.
“We went through a lot last night with Keith Carter trying to find a way to make this playoffs work and be able to coach the team. And at the end of the day, it’s his decision and I totally respect it. I understand that decision,” Kiffin told ESPN about Carter’s choice not to let him finish the season as Rebels coach.
“I just wish the team good luck, I would love to be a coach…I just hope they play really well and win the national championship.”
Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin throws a football before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
Kiffin said he spoke with college football coaching legends Pete Carroll and Nick Saban before making the decision to come to Baton Rouge.
“My heart was there. But I talked to some mentors – Coach Carroll, Coach Saban. Especially when Coach Carroll told me, ‘Your dad would tell you to go for it. Take the shot.’
“I always hated the way we gave Tennessee a year and left. I hated that feeling. I think we gave a lot to this program and this city and some of these historic wins in this stadium, the best regular season in school history. So, I’m proud of that part. But it’s time. I talked to God and he told me it’s time to take the next step. It’s a new chapter.”
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding was named head coach to replace Kiffin at Oxford.
Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin during the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium on October 25, 2025. (Kevin Jairaj/Imagn Images)
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Details of Kiffin’s new deal with LSU have begun to surface, and he is reportedly set to earn $13 million per season with the Tigers, making him the second-highest paid college coach in the country behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
However, the report also mentions that if Kiffin led the Tigers to a national title, an escalation clause in his contract would make him the highest-paid coach.
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