LSU Football Reportedly Willing to Make Lane Kiffin Highest-Paid Coach in Football

The LSU Tigers have identified Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin as the program's clearcut No. 1 option on the coaching carousel following the firing of Brian Kelly in late October.

No. 5 Ole Miss (10-1, 6-1 SEC) remains firmly in the College Football Playoff conversation, but the buzz surrounding the program is Kiffin's future in Oxford.

Along with the LSU Tigers, it's the Florida Gators that are rolling out the red carpet with the pair of Southeastern Conference programs looking to lure him out of Oxford.

Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes LSU is prepared to offer a blank check to the shot-caller that is receiving interest from the Tigers, Florida Gators, and other programs.

“There’s an old coaching adage out there that the quickest way to be defeated is to be distracted,” Klatt said. “I think that the biggest threat to Ole Miss down the stretch is distraction. And that distraction in the form of their future head coach.

"I don’t know where Lane Kiffin is going to end up. I know that Ole Miss is basically telling him, ‘Hey, it’s a blank check. You tell us what you need to stay here, and we will do it.’ I have that on good authority.

LSU Tigers Football. — Nov 15, 2025; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin stands on the sideline during the first quarter against the Florida Gators at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

“I also have, on pretty good authority, that LSU is prepared to do the same thing for Lane Kiffin. They’ll basically tell him, ‘The keys are yours.’ Florida is a job that I think Lane would prefer over the other two, from what I’ve been told, and they are not quite in the same boat as Ole Miss and LSU in terms of ‘here, the sky is yours and name your price.’ There are more strings.”

Now, according to Football Scoop, the LSU Tigers' offer to Kiffin is to make him the highest paid coach in college football.

According to Football Scoop, "Sources tell FootballScoop that LSU's offer to Kiffin would top Kirby Smart's deal, currently the highest-paid college football coach. LSU's new AD Verge Ausberry, new President Wade Rousse and even the Governor of the great state of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, are on board.

"The question is, will Lane leave Ole Miss to go to one of their more detested rivals. Moreover, Kiffin has emerged two different times as the top target in the Florida Gators' search to replace Billy Napier, several sources told FootballScoop. It's believed those two parties also spoke in recent weeks.

"Many in the profession do not expect Lane to make the move to LSU as the bad blood doesn't feel like something Lane is into these days."

Georgia Bulldogs' Kirby Smart is currently the highest-paid coach in college football with an annual salary of $13.28 million per year.

Smart's salary is roughly half a million more than the second highest-paid college football coach with Ohio State's Ryan Day coming in at No. 2.

Now, as the coaching carousel intensifies, Kiffin has emerged as the clearcut No. 1 choice for the LSU Tigers gig as the program ramps up its pursuit.

More LSU News:

Elite LSU Football Commit Reaffirms Pledge Despite Ohio State, Ole Miss Pushing

Five Players LSU Football Must Keep After Brian Kelly's Firing, Including DJ Pickett

ESPN Insider Labels Lane Kiffin 'Top Target' for LSU Football, Florida Gators

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