Lane Kiffin, the American football coach whose controversial move from Ole Miss to LSU made him a divisive figure, has found himself at the centre of a new, more light-hearted debate—this time over his unconventional shopping habits.
From SEC Scandal to Supermarket Snafu
The coach, who became Public Enemy No. 1 in Mississippi after leaving for rival SEC school LSU, has gone viral on social media for an entirely different reason. Kiffin was caught red-handed 'stealing' a plastic shopping basket from a grocery store, in a moment captured and shared by his daughter, Landry.
In a TikTok video posted this week, Landry filmed her father returning to their house with a basket full of groceries. She captioned the clip, 'Sent him to the store alone for the first time', and declared that the 50-year-old's 'shopping privileges are revoked.'
'You Have to Pay for Bags!'
The video shows a confused Kiffin, wearing flip-flops, questioning his daughter's reaction. When Landry asks, 'Why did you bring that back?', the coach defends his actions. 'How else was I supposed to carry it? You have to pay for bags! They said you have to pay for bags. And it was self-checkout, so I just—', he explained, trailing off.
This justification is particularly ironic given Kiffin's recent financial windfall. The coach signed a monumental deal reported to be worth $91 million to lead LSU, making him the second-highest-paid coach in college football, behind only Georgia's Kirby Smart. His annual salary is believed to be around $13 million.
Social Media Erupts and Kiffin Fires Back
The clip spread rapidly across platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), where Kiffin himself engaged with the online frenzy. Replying to one post featuring the video, the coach quipped, 'Have you not seen how Landry spends money?? Someone has to save some in this family.'
He then added a series of humorous hashtags to his post, including:
- #ReturnedBasket
- #SaveEnvironmentNoBags
- #SetExampleForKids
- #FlyCommercial
- #ServeOthers
This incident provides a moment of levity following Kiffin's acrimonious departure from Oxford to Baton Rouge, which left a trail of angry Ole Miss Rebels fans. Reports suggest Kiffin attempted to stay with Ole Miss through their College Football Playoff campaign, but the school rejected the idea, sealing his exit.
While his move for a $91 million contract caused serious controversy in the sport, his grocery basket misadventure has shown a more relatable, and decidedly frugal, side to the high-profile coach.
