Sources: LSU is going all-in for Lane Kiffin
Ole Miss is in the thick of a championship chase. Its coach has a decision to make.
How’s this for a Friday: LSU closed in on hiring its new coach while deciding to formally fire its old coach.
The Tigers are ready to go all-in for Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, preparing an offer that is believed to be a seven-year, $98 million deal with a commitment of at least $25 million in NIL money, a source with knowledge of the situation told The Inside Zone.
Meanwhile, the school’s board of supervisors gave new president Wade Rousse authority to send ex-coach Brian Kelly a formal written notice of his firing, according to the Baton Rouge Advocate. The school had announced Kelly’s firing on Oct. 26, one day after a 49-25 home loss to Texas A&M that sent LSU to 5-3. Kelly’s legal team then filed a lawsuit on Nov. 10, alleging that LSU claimed to have never officially fired Kelly and that the Tigers were seeking to fire him for cause, which would save the school $54 million in buyout money.
With our without that extra cash, LSU has apparently managed to scrape together enough to make Kiffin the highest-paid coach in the country. (Kirby Smart is currently No. 1 at $13M per year.) While all indications are that the Rebels’ coach will eventually come to an agreement with LSU, there are several complicating factors.