Lane Kiffin’s return to Ole Miss comes with betrayal, lawsuits and memories of him trying to burn it all down

OXFORD, Miss. - Just blocks away from a busy Ole Miss campus, residents of the small town of Oxford roamed 'The Square' on a Wednesday night that felt like a perceived calm before the storm that will have this city roaring over the next few days.

An Ella Langley concert is scheduled for Thursday night, serving as an expensive kickoff party for a game that has drawn the attention of the entire college football world.

Students strolled from campus to restaurants such as City Grocery, while visitors looking to stock up on Ole Miss gear stopped by Game Day Apparel for powder-blue hats featuring the phrase "Spot the Ball." MOUNTED POLICE, EXTRA PATROLS AND KIFFIN HATE: OXFORD PREPARES FOR OLE MISS-LSU GAME WITH EXTRA SECURITY Folks flocked to 'Off-Square Books' to hear my colleague John Talty discuss his new book on Lane Kiffin, which has already generated notably unfavorable reactions from those within Lane Kiffin's inner circle since its release.

Inside Ajax Diner on Thursday afternoon, conversations shifted between the former head coach and the 2026 Ole Miss football team led by Pete Golding.

SAM LEAVITT INJURY BOMBSHELL SENDS LSU-OLE MISS SHOWDOWN INTO CHAOTIC MODE, AS KIFFIN'S RETURN LOOMS But ... one talking point is persistent inside the landmark restaurant that opened in 1997.

"We really need to win this game," one diner attendee said while clad in powder blue gear.

"I can't imagine how that bastard will act if they [LSU] win." There are plenty of people around Oxford who claim to know Lane Kiffin, whether through his six years in town or relationships built through late-night voice messages and text conversations.

According to people who have spent time around him, the idea that Kiffin is a true "people person" remains debatable.

"He didn’t really have use for you if there wasn’t something coming on the other end," Mike, from Oxford told OutKick.

"Sure, he embraced the town, but he was spending more time in the yoga studios than the actual community.

I'm not judging.

He's a grown man, and he was single.

"Obviously, you could tell he changed his life while here in Oxford.

But, that doesn’t make him a good person, considering how he tried to burn this place to the ground on his way to LSU." OLE MISS FILES LAWSUITS AGAINST COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS WHO LEFT FOR LANE KIFFIN'S LSU About that burning to the ground.