It Pays To Be Lane Kiffin, LSU Coach Still Raking In Cash Off Former Team’s Success

Lane Kiffin has mastered passive income, continuing to profit from his former team’s postseason success just over a month after leaving Ole Miss to become head coach at LSU.

When Kiffin stepped down on November 30 to take the LSU gig, his contract included guarantees ensuring he would still benefit financially if the Rebels went on a College Football Playoff run, according to Front Office Sports.

Under the deal, LSU agreed to pay Kiffin $150,000 after Ole Miss made the College Football Playoff. That increased to $250,000 after Ole Miss beat Tulane in the first round, matching the payout Ole Miss had promised.

But wait, there’s more. After Ole Miss upset Georgia in the quarterfinals, Kiffin’s bonus grew to $500,000, per the outlet.

If the Rebels advance to the national championship game, LSU will owe him $750,000, and if they shock the world and win it all, Kiffin would receive $1 million from LSU within 30 days, the report said. The bonuses are not cumulative. Instead, each postseason win increases Kiffin’s total bonus to the next tier.

Not bad for not calling a single play for Ole Miss in the postseason.

Considering those numbers, it’s no surprise that Kiffin is still publicly supporting his former team. After Ole Miss’s win over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, he posted photos of his family, appearing to count down to a potentially even bigger payday, saying: “What a great finish!!! So much fun!! Only two more to go.”

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Kiffin said he wanted to attend the Sugar Bowl, but did not, to the relief of many of his former players, who view the entire situation as their former coach trolling them.

“That’s all he’s trying to do. That’s all he’s been trying to do is steal our shine,” Ole Miss senior defensive tackle Zxavian Harris told ESPN. “He was trying to be a troll. We’re going to troll him. We got something for him.”

Ole Miss’s postseason run continues next weekend in the Fiesta Bowl, with a trip to the National Championship on the line.

It remains unclear how many Ole Miss assistant coaches joining Kiffin’s LSU staff will remain with the Rebels through the semifinal on January 8 against the Miami Hurricanes. ESPN reports that offensive coordinator Charlie Weiss Jr. is expected to coach in the Fiesta Bowl, while three other assistants are expected in Baton Rouge this weekend.

That scenario is pending, but Ole Miss’s postseason run has already proven profitable for Kiffin.