- - Lane Kiffin receives $500K bonus thanks to Ole Miss' College Football Playoff win over Georgia

Jack Baer January 2, 2026 at 12:14 AM

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Lane Kiffin got the LSU job because of what he did at Ole Miss. The Rebels are now making him even richer. (AP Photo/Peter Forest) ()

In a Sugar Bowl classic between two SEC teams fighting for a spot in the College Football Playoff semifinals, one of the biggest winners was in Baton Rouge. Financially, at least.

Lane Kiffin, the former Ole Miss coach who left the program last month for LSU, will receive a $500,000 bonus from his new employer thanks to his former team reaching the CFP semifinal via a thrilling 39-34 win over Georgia. The bonus is part of an agreement LSU reached with the coach to lure him from Oxford, offering him the same bonuses he would have received for each CFP victory had he stayed at Ole Miss.

Kiffin had already received a $250,000 bonus after the Rebels defeated Tulane in the first round. If they defeat No. 10 Miami in the next round, Kiffin will add another $750,000 to his tally.

Win one more for the program’s first title in decades? One of the most bittersweet $1 million payments in the history of sports.

Pete Golding, the defensive coordinator who stayed at Ole Miss to take over as head coach, will receive the same bonuses. On his way out, Kiffin insisted on staying to coach the Rebels in the Playoff, but the school understandably didn’t watch a coach of another SEC team to be running its program during a key part of recruiting season.

It was an open question whether Kiffin would show up in New Orleans on Thursday to watch his former players and coaches face Georgia, but he decided to stick with his current school instead. He made an appearance on the court at the LSU women’s basketball team’s game, embracing head coach Kim Mulkey.

No. 5-ranked LSU took its first loss of the season, falling 80-78 to No. 11 Kentucky. After the game, it appears Kiffin did make it to New Orleans, or at least his family did.

What a great finish!!! So much fun!! Only two more to go ⁦@OleMissFB⁩ 🇹🇹 🪄 🏆 #BTA pic.twitter.com/axTTTHP5pO

— Lane Kiffin (@Lane_Kiffin) January 2, 2026

Meanwhile, Ole Miss fans were making their thoughts about the man their team was enriching very clear, with a “F*** Lane Kiffin” chant at the end of the game. This was a situation that was surreal from the moment Kiffin started taking other schools’ calls, and it won’t get any better with Ole Miss have a very real chance at the CFP championship game.

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Source: “AOL Sports”