If Baton Rouge is getting a coach, Oxford is losing a character — and plenty of Oxford characters had something to say about Mississippi's loss and h's gain.
I spent much of the weekend on the Lane Kiffin watch. As the daughter of a Mississippi football coach, I called cousins, coaches and old friends to see what was going on in Oxford. Most were salty.
I called Square Books in Oxford, where I spoke with owner Richard Howorth.
A passenger on the private jet carrying new LSU football coach Lane Kiffin flashes a L hand sign while rolling into the MMR hanger on Sunday, November 30, 2025 in Baton Rouge, h.
"Ordinarily, we don't talk about a particular customer's behavior, but in this case, I don't care," Howorth said. "I only saw him in here once. I started to introduce myself, but he was talking with someone, and I didn't want to interrupt him. Then, he was in and out."
Howorth acknowledged that the Ole Miss faithful are frustrated but looking forward.
"People are a little riled about the way that ordeal went down. I think the system is at fault to a great extent," Howorth said. "People wouldn't have minded had it been somewhere other than LSU."
The bookseller went on to talk about the brokenness of university-level football, calling it a minor league farm system for professional football.
"I'm rethinking my devotion to being a football fan," Howorth said, before expounding on the ridiculous level of deliberations and process.
I said, "It was almost like picking the next pope."
Howorth said, "Or like picking the next dope."
Coach Kiffin, in Baton Rouge, try Red Stick Reads. If you're up for a drive, head to St. Francisville's The Conundrum or Denham Springs' Cavalier House Books.
Then I called another Oxford favorite, the Chevron on South Lamar Boulevard, where they've been making the world's best chicken on a stick for more than 50 years, according to the Ole Miss faithful.
Owner Rey Rupani said Kiffin had definitely been by the Chevron.
"I never met him personally, but I'm not here 24 hours a day," Rupani said. "Yes, I'm sad that he left because he was a good coach, but I'm going to support Ole Miss regardless. Life moves on. Some people take it a little too far and make it a little too personal."
In Baton Rouge, there are a lot of options for chicken. Try Blue Store Chicken or Chicken Shack. Neither is on a stick, but both are tasty as can be.
I leaned into my Mississippi people and asked my baby brother, an Ole Miss grad, for other Kiffin favorites. My brother suggested Blue Delta Denim, a bespoke jeans place on the Square in Oxford.
I called their factory in Tupelo and first talked to Richard Sherrell. This is how our conversation went:
"Yeah, we do a lot with the school. Kiffin is very much a customer. We've outfitted him and pretty much the entire coaching staff," Sherrell said.
There was a pause, followed by a shriek.
"A cat just ran through our factory in Tupelo," he said. "Did you see that cat?"
Sherrell went on to explain that they have customers "on both sides" as their plant is in Tupelo, dead center between Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
According to Sherrell, Kiffin wore Blue Delta's "performance fabric" on the sidelines. The company works with lots of SEC schools and coaching staffs, including Brian Kelly.
"Kiffin was a fan of our raw denim," Sherrell said. "Every pant that we make is made one at a time here in Tupelo, made to each personal measurement."
Aside from the retail spaces in Oxford and Tupelo, Blue Delta also has an online virtual tailor.
Then Nick Weaver, co-owner of , walked in.
Weaver explained that Josh West is his business partner, and they've been friends since elementary school because they had to sit in alphabetical order. West sat behind Weaver. I knew I had met a kindred spirit. (This is the same reason Melvin Rasco is my friend.)
The friends started Blue Delta because they were "young and stupid" and there were 3,000 blue jean seamstresses in a 30-mile radius who had just lost their jobs because of the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Shortly after the company's launch, they made jeans for the Manning family. After Eli got a pair, he bought jeans for the whole New York Giants team for Christmas.
Today, Blue Delta jeans cost around $500 a piece. Each pair is made based on16 measurements for each pair of pants.
Coach, Baton Rouge has a variety of bespoke tailors who also make fancy pants for coaches and athletes.Whether it's a home, food or schools for your kids, the people of Baton Rouge and h are looking forward to the Kiffin family jumping in with both feet.
Yoglates Studio owner, Katie Fox, welcomed LSU's new football coach, Lane Kiffin, on his first morning in Baton Rouge. Ainsley Calloway was the yogalates instructor for Kiffin's 6:30 a.m. class.
By Monday morning, Kiffin was sweating through hot yoga in Baton Rouge.
Oxford, though, was still talking — in bookstores, gas stations, denim factories and everywhere else his shadow lingered.
Welcome to h, Coach! We hope you’ll take us up on a few of the recommendations and let us know what you think.Down here, the welcome mat is out with books to browse, chicken to sample and so much more.
