Lane Kiffin’s decision might not come for another week, but LSU is gearing up for a sizable offer.
As rumors mount that the Ole Miss head coach might depart the school, LSU officials have had discussions about offering Kiffin, 50, a contract in the seven-year, $90 million range, Yahoo Sports reported Friday night.
A deal of that amount would effectively make Kiffin tied for the highest-paid coach in the NCAA.
Yahoo Sports added that the Tigers would also potentially promise to spend more than $25 million for their roster through NIL, something that is near and dear to the veteran coach.
Kiffin has been linked to LSU since the university fired head coach Brian Kelly in October.
Ole Miss announced in a statement Friday that a decision will not be announced about Kiffin’s status until after next week’s Egg Bowl against Mississippi State.
“Coach Kiffin and I have had may pointed and positive conversations regarding his future at Ole Miss, including meeting today with Chancellor Boyce,” vice chancellor for intercollegiate athletics Keith Carter said in a statement Friday. “While we discuss next steps, we know we cannot lose sight of what is move important — our sixth-ranked team that is pointed to finish the regular season in historic fashion.”
According to Yahoo Sports, people close to the Ole Miss football program say the players are not pleased with the publicity and indecisiveness of Kiffin’s decision.
Over the past few weeks, officials at Ole Miss have crafted a plan to keep Kiffin that will both increase his salary and guarantee NIL compensation for his roster.
Earlier this week, officials at LSU flew out members of Kiffin’s family to tour Baton Rouge, according to The Advocate.
Kiffin’s daughter, Landry, was also seen at a LSU women’s booster club meeting on Thursday, according to nola.com.
Landry reportedly attended the Bengal Belles luncheon alongside her boyfriend, Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks, and his brothers, West and Zack, who are also linebackers at LSU, along with their mother, Erin.
If Kiffin chooses to leave Ole Miss — a team which is likely to make the College Football Playoff and has championship hopes — the move would be unprecedented.
The Rebels hold a 10-1 record, with a win against Mississippi State on Saturday almost undoubtedly cementing their playoff chances.
A loss, however, could drop the Rebels into a jumble of 10-2 teams that are on the cusp, such as Alabama, BYU, Miami, Notre Dame and Oklahoma.
Kiffin took over as head coach of the Rebels in 2020 and has led the team to a 115-53 record.
