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LSU head coach Lane Kiffin will likely still be cheering for his former program at Ole Miss—and that doesn’t have to be out of the goodness of his heart.
Kiffin will earn monetary rewards based on how far the Rebels advance in the College Football Playoff.
Kiffin, whose abrupt exit from Ole Miss was one of the biggest stories of this year’s coaching carousel, gets a $250,000 performance bonus because the Rebels beat Tulane 41–10 to advance to the CFP quarterfinals. Kiffin’s bonus increases up to a total of $1 million, depending on how far Ole Miss advances.
A Very Rich Twist
The bonus won’t be paid out by Ole Miss, however. Instead, LSU has agreed to foot the bill. That’s all thanks to Kiffin’s new contract with the Tigers, which, in addition to a $13 million annual salary and a multimillion-dollar buyout with no offset or duty to mitigate clause, includes covering the postseason bonus structure in his previous Ole Miss contract.
LSU has agreed to pay Kiffin the following bonus structure, according to a copy of the term sheet previously obtained by Front Office Sports:
- $150,000 for the Rebels making it to the CFP, even if they lost
- $250,000 now that the Rebels are advancing to the quarterfinal
- $500,000 if Ole Miss advances to a semifinal
- $750,000 if Ole Miss advances to the national championship
- $1 million if the Rebels win it all
Meanwhile, Ole Miss’s current head coach, Pete Golding, will reportedly earn the same bonus structure—but his bonuses, of course, will be paid out by the Rebels.
Other Coaches Cash In
Oregon’s Dan Lanning has reportedly earned $200,000 for leading the Ducks to the quarterfinals. Alabama’s Kalen DeBoer has also reportedly earned $250,000 for making the quarterfinals.
Mario Cristobal’s contract terms at Miami are not public, as Miami is a private school.
