As reported by Gary Klein from the Los Angeles Times, USC head football coach Lane Kiffin earned $2.4 million while USC head basketball coach Kevin O'Neill earned $1.7 million in 2010. The salary numbers were gathered from USC's federal tax return.
According to USA Today's college football coach salary database which does not include Kiffin's salary, the USC head coach's earnings makes him the second highest paid coach in the Pac-12 behind Oregon's Chip Kelly who hauls in $2.8 million. Washington's Steve Sarkisian and California's Jeff Tedford also earn more than $2 million.
After making the NCAA Tournament in 2010, O'Neill's squad suffered its worst season under his tenure in 2011-12, compiling a 6-26 overall record. O'Neill's salary is slightly above the $1.4 million salary average of coaches in the 2012 NCAA Tournament.
Both Kiffin and O'Neill are relatively new to USC. The Trojans hired Kiffin in early 2010 to replace Pete Carroll while O'Neil joined USC in 2009 after Tim Floyd's resignation.
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