Not only is the Ole Miss Rebels head coach one of the most enigmatic and exciting coaches and characters in the college football game, but Lane Kiffin’s salary also makes him one of the highest-paid coaches in the sport. After receiving a contract extension late in 2022, what is Kiffin’s salary, contract, and net worth entering the 2023 college football season?
Lane Kiffin’s Salary and Contract in 2023
Kiffin officially signed a contract extension with Ole Miss in December 2022, a four-year deal that started on Jan. 1, 2023, and will run until Dec. 31, 2026. That is assuming that the Rebels’ head coach doesn’t sign a contract extension to keep in Oxford during the life of his current deal.
Under the terms of his new contract, Kiffin will command a base salary of $8.75 million in 2023. The Ole Miss head coach is somewhat unusual in this regard, as several of the highest-paid CFB head coaches have a smaller base salary that is bolstered by things such as media partnerships or apparel contracts.
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For example, SEC rival Nick Saban has a base salary of just $305,000 for the 2023 season. However, that is bolstered by an annual retention fee and something that Alabama describes as a “talent fee” that significantly boosts his actual salary.
With the new extension to his contract, Kiffin has seen a significant boost to his 2023 salary. The Ole Miss head coach was set to earn $7.35 million in 2023, giving him a $1.4 million pay raise after a season where the Rebels went 8-5 and lost to Texas Tech in the Texas Bowl.
Kiffin’s Net Worth
Kiffin will receive a further salary boost over the next two seasons. In 2024, the Ole Miss head coach will net a base salary of $8.85 million before jumping to $9 million in 2025 and 2026. As a result, Kiffin has a net worth of $35.6 million over the next four years.
As Lee Corso would say, “not so fast, my friend!” Kiffin has numerous incentives that run through his recently signed contract. His base salary might net him $35.6 million between now and 2026, but the Ole Miss head coach can earn substantially more.
If he remains employed by Ole Miss on Dec. 31, 2023, Kiffin gets a salary boost of $250,000. If he’s still in post one year later, he gets a further $150,000 retention bonus. Those alone move the needle of his net worth to the $36 million mark.
Kiffin also has what is tantamount to performance-related pay for Ole Miss’ success in the SEC. Once the Rebels have passed the four-win threshold in the conference, the Ole Miss head coach nets $150,000 for each SEC win. The program had just four conference wins during the 2022 college football season.
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Kiffin also receives a salary boost if Ole Miss beats a Power Five opponent during the regular season. If the Rebels beat Georgia Tech on Sept. 16, 2023, the win will net Kiffin an extra $100,000 on to his base salary for the season.
Winning the SEC Championship comes with a $400,000 bonus, and if Kiffin was then to lead Ole Miss to a national championship, he’d add a further $1 million to his salary. There’s also a range of financial incentives linked to various bowl-game scenarios, from $50,000 for appearing in the Birmingham Bowl to $250,000 for making it to a New Year’s Six game.
Academic success also brings financial reward for the Ole Miss head coach. Kiffin gets an extra $100,000 added to his salary for a single-year APR (Academic Progress Rate) of 950-974, which leaps to $150,000 if that number surpasses 975.
Finally, Kiffin has a salary bonus linked to attendance levels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. The Ole Miss head coach can earn up to $200,000 depending on the number of season-ticket sales, which might give a deeper meaning to his famous outburst about the lack of home support during Rebels games.
