USC football: Lane Kiffin mum on salary

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Is USC Coach Lane Kiffin really a $4-million man?

The college football world was abuzz this week when, in preview copies sent to the media, HBO’s ‘Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel’ reported that Kiffin was earning $4 million and his father, Monte, the Trojans assistant head coach for defense, $2 million. No source was cited for the figures.

When the segment aired Tuesday, the figures reportedly were adjusted to ‘just under’ $4 million for Lane Kiffin and ‘almost’ $2 million for Monte Kiffin.

As a private university, USC is not required to make coaches’ salaries public. Two sources close to the situation, who requested anonymity because neither is authorized to speak publicly about the issue, said the figures for the Kiffins were inflated.

Lane Kiffin on Thursday declined to discuss his compensation.

‘The university’s policy is that no one comments on contract structure, and I’m going to follow those same guidelines,’ he said.

-- Gary Klein

twitter.com/latimesklein