Lane Kiffin to Sign Long-Term Deal to Stay at Ole Miss, per Sources

He was the subject of significant Auburn rumors earlier in the week.

Lane Kiffin will not only be staying at Ole Miss rather than taking the job at SEC West rival Auburn, but he’s getting a significant contract extension from the school, sources tell Sports Illustrated‘s Ross Dellenger.

Kiffin is signing a six-year contract extension that has roll-over provisions that can extend it to eight years. He’ll make an average of $9 million per year with the deal, sources tell Dellenger. 

While Mississippi state law does not allow for public employees to have contracts of more than four years, the deal is being run through Ole Miss’s private foundation, per Dellenger, allowing for the lengthy new deal for Kiffin. 

Kiffin received a new contract from Ole Miss just last December, which paid $7.25 million per year and was set to escalate by $100,000 per year through 2025, with additional bonuses available. 

Kiffin has not yet officially signed the new deal as of noon ET, but it is expected to happen soon, and has been on the table for “several days,” Dellenger says.

On Saturday morning, Kiffin confirmed to ESPN that he met with his team and told them that he was staying at Ole Miss, despite local reports that he’d head to Auburn. With Kiffin out of the picture, the Tigers are “zeroed in” on Liberty’s Hugh Freeze, sources tell Sports Illustrated.

• The Grove Report: Report: Auburn Targeting Former Ole Miss Coach Following Lane Kiffin’s Comment 

For more Ole Miss coverage, go to The Grove Report.