Highlights

• LSU hired Lane Kiffin on Sunday as the Tigers’ 35th head football coach
• Seven-year deal with an annual salary topping $13 million makes him one of college football’s highest-paid coaches
• LSU committed $25-30 million annually for roster through revenue sharing and NIL funds
• Kiffin won’t coach No. 7 Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff despite wanting to finish the season
• Move ends month-long search after LSU fired Brian Kelly in October

LSU Hires Lane Kiffin as Head Coach, Won’t Coach Ole Miss in Playoffs

Ole Miss coach agrees to a seven-year deal topping $13 million annually to replace Brian Kelly.

BATON ROUGE, La. (103.3 The GOAT) — LSU hired Lane Kiffin as its next head football coach Sunday, the school announced, landing the most sought-after coach on the market after a month-long search.

Kiffin announced the move in a statement on social media Sunday morning after meeting with Ole Miss players. The 50-year-old coach agreed to a seven-year deal with an annual salary expected to top $13 million, according to The Advocate, making him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

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What LSU Is Offering Kiffin

Kiffin’s seven-year deal includes an annual salary expected to top $13 million, according to The Advocate. That makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in college football.

The salary tops Georgia’s Kirby Smart, currently the highest-paid coach at $13.3 million per year. It’s a significant raise from the $9 million Kiffin made at Ole Miss.

LSU has also prepared to commit $25-30 million annually to the roster through revenue sharing and NIL funds, which sources told The Advocate was an important factor to Kiffin.

Why Kiffin Won’t Coach Ole Miss in Playoffs

Kiffin won’t coach No. 7 Ole Miss in the College Football Playoff despite leading the Rebels to their first 11-win regular season in program history and a likely playoff berth.

Kiffin said earlier this week it was “very important” to him to finish the season with the team. But Ole Miss wasn’t expected to let him stay if he intended to take another job at an SEC rival.

READ MORE: Lane Kiffin Expected to Take LSU Job, Won't Coach in CFP

Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and chancellor Glenn Boyce won’t allow Kiffin to coach the Rebels in the CFP with him taking the LSU job. The school wants to avoid having Kiffin around players with the transfer portal opening Jan. 2. Ole Miss officials also don’t want their playoff games becoming what ESPN described as a “commercial” for LSU’s future under Kiffin.

How Saturday’s Meetings Played Out

After Friday night’s 38-19 Egg Bowl victory over Mississippi State, Kiffin said he would decide Saturday whether he’d coach at Ole Miss or LSU in 2026. He met with Carter and Boyce for several hours at the chancellor’s home in Oxford on Saturday afternoon, but the day ended without an announcement.

Ole Miss officials briefly hoped Kiffin might coach one more game if the Rebels clinched a spot in next week’s SEC championship game in Atlanta. But No. 10 Alabama’s 27-20 victory over Auburn in Saturday night’s Iron Bowl ended that possibility. The Crimson Tide will face No. 4 Georgia for the SEC title instead.

Other Schools in the Mix

Florida also pursued Kiffin for its head coach opening after firing Billy Napier. Ole Miss attempted to keep him with a contract extension. According to The Advocate, Florida and Ole Miss offered Kiffin similar financial packages as LSU.

Florida moved on to other candidates over the past week and hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall. Ole Miss also began to look elsewhere.

What This Means for LSU

Kiffin becomes the 35th head football coach in LSU history, according to The Advocate. He replaces Brian Kelly, who had a 34-14 record in three-plus seasons but never reached serious championship contention. LSU fired Kelly Oct. 26 with six years left on his contract after the Tigers fell out of playoff contention with a 5-3 start.

Kiffin brings a 55-19 record from six seasons at Ole Miss. He’s led the Rebels to five consecutive bowl appearances and three 10-win seasons. This year, he delivered their first-ever 11-win regular season and their first College Football Playoff appearance.

For Louisiana football fans, the move brings one of college football’s most innovative offensive minds to Baton Rouge. Kiffin has a proven track record of building winners in the SEC. LSU’s recruiting advantages in talent-rich Louisiana give him the resources to compete with Georgia and Alabama at the top of the conference.

Kiffin has a 116-53 record across 14 seasons at Tennessee, USC, Florida Atlantic and Ole Miss. He’ll be expected to consistently reach the CFP and compete for championships, something LSU never did under Kelly.