Report reveals why Lane Kiffin passed on Auburn job

Despite being heavily linked to the Auburn Tigers job for the last few weeks, Lane Kiffin is staying at Ole Miss, and we have some idea why.

Multiple reports indicated that Kiffin agreed to a contract extension with the Rebels that will run for at least six years and pay him roughly $9 million per year. According to Zach Barnett and John Brice of Football Scoop, this is a better offer than Auburn put on the table for Kiffin.

Auburn offered Kiffin a similar salary, but Ole Miss bested the Tigers by offering a much longer deal of six years with the potential to extend it to eight. The school even circumvented a Mississippi state law barring state institutions from offering contracts longer than four years by financing the deal through the university’s private foundation.

Kiffin did not want to mess with a good thing at Ole Miss, especially for a longer deal with matching money. That prompted Auburn to look elsewhere, but it pivoted quickly to find a new top option.