Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin feels at home in Oxford as the Rebels head into season opener
OXFORD, Miss. – It can be easy to embrace a coach who wins, but allowing that coach to enjoy his time outside of football just as much as his time coaching can be difficult. Oxford has accomplished this feat.
Head coach Lane Kiffin entered the Ole Miss football program in late 2019 at a time when the Rebels were struggling, so his arrival and success were quite important to the Ole Miss community.
However, Kiffin feels that same sentiment about Oxford in an even grander fashion.
“I needed Oxford and Ole Miss a lot more than it needed me,” Kiffin said at his first game-week Monday press conference.
Kiffin’s love of Oxford is well-documented, but his comments are representative of how the Oxford and Ole Miss communities welcome all newcomers. The Rebels’ head coach has felt the love from the city well beyond the playing field.
“[Ole Miss] has been a part of changes that have taken place [in his life]. Personally, I think it just didn’t happen in these two years by chance. I think a lot of it had to do with coming here.”
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin
Coach Kiffin on Oxford: "With Landry here and Juice and how people are, it's been really awesome for me. It's been part of a lot of changes that have taken place for me personally…" Coach says those changes didn't take place by chance — they happened because he's in Oxford.❤️
— The Rebel Walk (@TheRebelWalk) August 29, 2022
Their head coach feeling this fondly toward the town and school is certainly music to Rebel fans’ ears, but one could argue that Ole Miss needed Kiffin just as much.
The coach’s accomplishments through two seasons include an Outback Bowl win (2020), a Sugar Bowl appearance (2021), and the first ten-win regular season in school history (2021).
Kiffin looks to add to those accomplishments starting this week.
“Now we’ve got to take off from last year, rebuild like we have, perform on gamedays, and keep our home winning streak alive. I don’t know the stats, but it’s got to be one of the longer ones around.”
Coach Lane Kiffin on continuing to build the program
That home win streak is up to nine games, dating back to November 14, 2020, including going undefeated at home for the first time since 1992 during the seven-win 2021 campaign.
Kiffin and the Rebels look to stretch that streak to double digits this weekend against the Troy Trojans at 3 p.m. at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
Trevor Terminie
Trevor is a senior at Ole Miss pursuing a degree in Journalism with an emphasis in Sports Communication and Promotion. He has previous experience covering sports for another site, including a variety of Ole Miss sports. Growing up in New Orleans, La., he has the Pelicans and Saints running through his blood. He also grew up in an LSU family, but his love for Ole Miss continues to grow. Trevor hopes to cover sports back in his hometown after college. Laissez les bons temps rouler!
