Lane Kiffin’s contract with LSU includes the unique clause that he will receive a payment equal to the amount he would have earned for coaching Ole Miss in the upcoming College Football Playoff, according to a term sheet obtained by ESPN on Monday.
Kiffin, who agreed to a seven-year contract with LSU on Sunday that will pay him $13 million annually, will receive the same CFP bonus from LSU that he would have if he had remained with Ole Miss through this postseason. That begins at $150,000 for the Rebels’ participation in a first-round CFP game, increases to $250,000 for participation in a quarterfinal and tops out at $1 million if Ole Miss wins the national championship.
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Kiffin had hoped to coach the Rebels (11-1) through their first CFP appearance, but Ole Miss opted for a clean break and promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to head coach Sunday.
Kiffin will be owed the CFP bonus payments from LSU within 30 days after the Rebels’ season ends, according to the term sheet, which Kiffin and LSU officials signed Saturday.
Another notable clause calls for Kiffin to become the nation’s highest-paid coach if LSU wins a national championship during his term as coach. The escalator would occur only once during Kiffin’s term with LSU, on the date the team wins a national title.
LSU last week agreed to pay former coach Brian Kelly his full $54 million buyout after firing him Oct. 26. The school also is set to make its final payment this month to former coach Ed Orgeron, who led the Tigers to a national title in 2019 and was fired in 2021.
Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry publicly criticized Kelly’s contract and its structure following the coach’s firing, as well as athletic director Scott Woodward, who soon resigned from his position.
Lane Kiffin will receive a bonus from LSU after this postseason that begins at $150,000 for Ole Miss’ participation in a first-round CFP game, rises to $250K for reaching the quarterfinal and tops out at $1 million if the Rebels win the national title. Brian Bahr/Getty Images
If Kiffin is fired without cause during his seven-year term with LSU, he would be owed 80% of his remaining salary — an amount not subject to offset or mitigation, according to the term sheet. If Kiffin leaves LSU for another head coaching job, his buyout would begin at $7 million and drop to $6 million in January 2027.
LSU will pay Kiffin bonuses of $1 million for winning the SEC title game, and a CFP structure that begins at $750,000 for a first-round appearance and increases to $3 million for a national title victory. The school also will cover the difference — up to $500,000 — between the purchase price of his home in Mississippi ($2.89 million) and a new primary home in the Baton Rouge area.
