Tiger Twist: Three Head Football Coaches On LSU’s Payroll This December

The Lane Train has finally pulled into the station in Baton Rouge, and the rumors can finally stop swirling around the message boards and social media. From Shreveport to New Orleans, it feels like fans have been talking about this possibility for months, and now it is finally a reality for Tiger fans.

While everyone is excited about the future of the program under a new regime, there is a wild financial situation unfolding behind the scenes that you almost have to see to believe. The university is going to find itself in a very unique position regarding their bank account for the first two weeks of December.

Lane Kiffin Signs Massive Deal With LSU Tigers

We know that getting a top-tier coach in the SEC is never going to be cheap, but the numbers on this contract are absolutely staggering when you break them down. Lane Kiffin has agreed to a seven-year deal that is worth a total of $91 million, which puts him right at the top of the food chain for coaching salaries.

This deal is going to pay him roughly $13 million per year, which is the kind of money that makes you realize just how serious the athletic department is about winning a national title right now. The contract also features a clause that would bump his pay up even higher if he manages to bring a championship trophy back to Louisiana.

Brian Kelly Buyout Adds To The Financial Strain

You cannot talk about the new money being spent without looking at the dead money that is still going out the door for the previous guy. Brian Kelly was fired, without cause, during his fourth season. Now that decision comes with a massive price tag, and the university is obligated to pay it all.

The school still owes Kelly approximately $54 million. Since they didn't settle on a lump sum buyout immediately, he is still on the payroll receiving monthly installments until 2031. That means for the foreseeable future, LSU is cutting a check for about $800,000 every single month to a guy who is not even coaching the team anymore.

Ed Orgeron Is Still On The Payroll In Baton Rouge

Most people have probably forgotten that the university is still paying for the termination of the 2019 National Championship Coach, Ed Orgeron. When Orgeron and the Tigers parted ways back in 2021, the agreement was to pay his $17 million buyout over a series of installments that span four years.

Those payments have been hitting the books faithfully ever since he left the sidelines, and the end of that obligation is finally in sight. The final payment for Coach O is scheduled for December 15, 2025, which will be a check for roughly $426,000 to close out his time on the payroll.

The Perfect Storm Of Coaching Payments In December

This creates a truly bizarre scenario where LSU is paying three different head football coaches, at the exact same time, between December 1st, 2025 and December 15th, 2025. For two weeks, you have Lane Kiffin earning his new salary, Brian Kelly collecting his massive monthly buyout check, and Ed Orgeron waiting on his final severance payment.

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It is rare to see a program managing three different coaching contracts for the same position simultaneously, but that is exactly where we are right now. Which should be a concern for Kiffin moving forward...because if LSU was willing to throw away the money for Brian Kelly, while still paying Ed Orgeron, you know they're depraved enough to fire you and pay you out, while still paying Kelly, AND paying another coach to replace you.

Better win that National Championship in the next 48 months bud.