No. 6 Ole Miss saw its season come to an end with a 31-27 loss to No. 10 Miami on Thursday during the CFP semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl. The Rebels defeated Tulane and Georgia during the first round and quarterfinals, respectively, during their first CFP appearance in program history.
The Rebels certainly made the most of their first trip to the CFP despite some drama. Ole Miss coach Pete Golding, who took over after Lane Kiffin departed for LSU, won his first two games at the helm of the program. Despite Kiffin’s departure, he still had a strong rooting interest for his old team.
Despite Kiffin no longer being with the program, he still benefited financially from the Rebels’ playoff run. That’s because, as part of the agreement of Kiffin leaving Ole Miss before its CFP run, LSU agreed to pay his playoff bonuses if the Rebels kept advancing.
Kiffin earned $250,000 from LSU on New Year’s Day thanks to the Rebels’ win over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl. That came in addition to the $250,000 he made on their win over Tulane in the first round for a cool $500,000 payday. Kiffin was set to earn up to $1 million had Ole Miss run the table and won the national title.
Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss with LSU set for September 2026 as SEC releases complete football schedule
David Cobb
The former Ole Miss coach signed a seven-year deal worth $91 million in Baton Rouge, which comes with opportunities to earn more via incentives, according to records obtained by The Advocate. Before incentives, Kiffin will make $13 million per year. One of the escalators in Kiffin’s contract requires a raise to make him the highest-paid coach in the country if he wins a national championship, according to the Advocate.
