Over the weekend, Ole Miss inked an eight-year contract with football coach Lane Kiffin that will reportedly pay out about $9 million annually.
The school had to usurp a Mississippi law saying state employees can’t sign contracts for more than four years, according to SI. As a result, the Ole Miss Foundation will fund Kiffin’s deal.
Kiffin is now one of five SEC coaches earning an average of $9 million or more per season — the most of any Power 5 conference.
- Alabama’s Nick Saban, $11.7M
- Georgia’s Kirby Smart, $11.25M
- Texas A&M’s Jimbo Fisher, $9.5M
- LSU’s Brian Kelly, $9.5M
The SEC doesn’t have a monopoly on coaches cashing in big — just ask Michigan State’s Mel Tucker ($9.5 million) or USC’s Lincoln Riley (reportedly $10M+).
In fact, multiple top coaching spots in the country appear to be inching toward the $10 million mark in order to be competitive.
But the conference’s football coaching investment continues to be unparalleled — even if only one of the five teams currently has a spot in the College Football Playoff.
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