LSU continues its tradition of major coaching investments this cycle, with the Tigers’ athletic department showing it’s willing to spend big on success.
The school’s financial commitment to athletics paid off in the most recent fiscal year. LSU brought in $3.8 million in net revenue despite $219.65 million in operating expenses, according to The Daily Advertiser.
Will Wade’s expected return to lead men’s basketball represents the latest big-money move. He’ll join other major contracts for Lane Kiffin (football) and Kim Mulkey (women’s basketball), plus significant buyouts for Brian Kelly (football) and Matt McMahon (men’s basketball).
Recent LSU Coaching Spending
Here’s what the Tigers have reportedly paid for top coaches and recent buyouts.
Lane Kiffin
Kiffin left Ole Miss for LSU despite the Rebels heading to the College Football Playoff. The move created one of the biggest stories of the coaching cycle.
LSU handed Kiffin a seven-year, $91 million contract with additional incentives, per The Advocate. At $13 million annually, he became college football’s second-highest-paid coach behind Georgia’s Kirby Smart.
The incentives include a clause making him the country’s highest-paid coach if he delivers a national title to LSU. Per CBS, the Tigers even paid Kiffin bonuses for each Ole Miss CFP win in 2025.
Brian Kelly (buyout)
Kelly was fired during the 2025 season after leading the program since 2022. His departure included a legal dispute over the buyout terms.
Kelly will receive his full $54 million buyout if “he fulfills his obligation to find another job,” according to CBS.
The buyout ranks as the second-largest in college football history.
Will Wade
CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein reported Thursday that LSU will part ways with McMahon and bring Wade back four years after firing him. Contract details aren’t official yet.
Wade signed a six-year, $17.25 million deal with NC State in 2025. LSU will likely exceed that offer significantly.
NC State buyout: $3 million minimum
Wade’s buyout drops from $5 million to $3 million on April 1, per Jeff Goodman. The Tigers will pay at least $3 million to reunite with their former coach.
Matt McMahon (buyout)
McMahon’s departure means another buyout for LSU’s budget.
The Tigers owe McMahon $8 million with three years remaining on his contract, per NOLA.com. Combined with Wade’s NC State buyout, LSU is paying $11 million just to switch men’s basketball coaches.
That doesn’t include staff buyouts, new staff salaries, and roster funding.
How much is Will Wade’s service worth to LSU? At least $25 million.
Firing Matt McMahon before April 1: $8 million
Buying Wade out: $5 million
Paying off McMahon staff: Million+
Hiring Wade staff: Million+
Funding a roster rich enough to get Wade to leave State: $10 million+— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) March 26, 2026
Kim Mulkey
LSU signed Mulkey to a 10-year, $32 million extension in 2023 after she brought a championship to the program. Per ESPN, it was women’s college basketball’s richest total contract at the time.
The deal pays approximately $3.2 million per season.
UConn’s Geno Auriemma ($3.54 million annually) and South Carolina’s Dawn Staley ($4 million annually) have since signed larger per-year deals.
Jay Johnson
The baseball coach received a seven-year extension in 2025 worth around $23.45 million before bonuses, per NOLA.com.
Starting at $3.05 million annually, Johnson became college baseball’s highest-paid coach. The two-time national champion’s salary increases to $3.65 million by the contract’s end.
