After ending the 2024 season with a 10-3 record, Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels are going strong this season as well, with only one loss so far. This mighty performance has kept Kiffin out of the hot seat rumor, while some of his fellow Southeastern Conference HCs have already been fired.
However, Kiffin’s name often surfaces in connection with potential head coaching vacancies at other schools, triggering discussion about his buyout.
What Is Lane Kiffin’s Buyout From His Ole Miss Contract?
As of December 1, 2025, if Ole Miss decides to fire Kiffin without cause, he is set to get a $36.6 million buyout, which is the 15th-largest buyout in college football, according to USA TODAY. His contract also contains no mitigation clause, and so any future earnings would not reduce the amount owed to him.
Meanwhile, if Kiffin chooses to leave Ole Miss on his own, the buyout payments owed to the university by his next employer would be structured as follows: $3 million after this season, $2 million following the 2026 season, and $1.5 million in subsequent years.
With a $9 million annual income, Kiffin tied for the 11th-highest-paid college football coach, according to USA TODAY Sports. Meanwhile, Ole Miss’s 34-26 win over Oklahoma on October 25Â triggered an automatic contract extension for Kiffin, as reported by sports insider Steve Berkowitz.
“Mississippi coach Lane Kiffin now set for automatic 1-year contract extension as Rebels get 7th win of season by beating Oklahoma. As of Dec. 8, Kiffin’s deal with the Ole Miss Athletic Foundation will be set to run through 12/31/2031. Added year currently set to be worth $9 million, with $7.2 million guaranteed,” Berkowitz tweeted after the Oklahoma win.
With Ole Miss ranked No. 6 in the first College Football Playoff Top 25 released this season, Kiffin is set to earn additional bonuses throughout the team’s postseason run. These bonuses include $250,000 for reaching the quarterfinals, $500,000 for the semifinals, $750,000 for a championship appearance, and $1 million for winning the championship.
As for Kiffin’s potential next destination, he has been linked to potential openings at Florida and LSU. Kiffin’s agent, Jimmy Sexton, was rumored to be working to secure a record-breaking deal for him with the Gators.
However, former coach Nick Saban dismissed all that potential with an obvious claim.
“Lane is the first name up for Florida and the first name up for LSU,” Saban said last month. “But I think you can have a long debate on whether either one of those jobs is actually better than the job he has now because he has some guys over there at Ole Miss that give him pretty much whatever he wants from a roster standpoint. He may not necessarily have the same thing at Florida or LSU.”
Kiffin’s Rebels are preparing for next weekend’s game against The Citadel, which is 4-5 this season. The Rebels are ranked No. 17 in the PFSN CFB Playoff Meter.