Insider reveals how much LSU is willing to pay Lane Kiffin to leave Ole Miss

Multiple SEC powerhouses are vying for attention in the scramble to get Lane Kiffin on their sideline, not least his current school, as Ole Miss finds itself in a heated race to keep its head coach away from current contenders LSU and Florida.

LSU’s pursuit of Lane Kiffin appears to be very genuine, and by the sound of it, the school is ready to make a very large investment in him to lead its football program.

How much is the school willing to spend? Enough to make Kiffin the highest-paid head coach in college football, according to recent reporting.

LSU’s reputed offer to Kiffin is currently estimated to be worth more than what Georgia is currently paying two-time national champion coach Kirby Smart, according to Football Scoop.

For reference, Smart is currently being paid $13.2 million this season to coach the Bulldogs, according to the latest figures kept by the USA Today coaching salary database.

That’s about a half-million more than the second-highest paid coach in the country, Ohio State’s Ryan Day, and Smart’s buyout is worth a colossal $105 million, by more than $30 million the most expensive golden parachute in the nation.

Kiffin also appears to have friends in very high places if he wants the LSU job.

The coach currently has the backing of current LSU athletic director Verge Ausberry, university president Wade Rousse, and most notably Louisiana governor Jeff Landry, according to the report.

When is such a decision likely to be made? “Within the next few days, as the situation in Oxford has become untenable,” the Football Scoop report notes.

But LSU has competition from Florida, at which Kiffin has been routinely connected as a very legitimate contender to replace Billy Napier, and the favorite to do so by a wide margin, with a 49 percent likelihood, according to the prediction market Kalshi.

The race heated up this week after it was reported that members of Kiffin’s family had been given VIP tours of both Baton Rouge and Gainesville recently, and after it was revealed that Ole Miss has given its coach an ultimatum on his future plans.

Ole Miss has reportedly given Kiffin a very sharp deadline: tell them what his future plans are before playing the Egg Bowl on Nov. 28, or else.

If he doesn’t, there’s a very real chance that Ole Miss wouldn’t even let him coach the team during the College Football Playoff, which the Rebels are projected to make.

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