Pete Golding Promoted to Head Coach at Ole Miss as Rebels Look to Maintain Playoff Momentum
Ole Miss isn’t wasting any time turning the page after Lane Kiffin’s departure to LSU. Rather than launching a national coaching search, the Rebels are promoting from within - elevating defensive coordinator Pete Golding to the head coaching role, effective immediately.
The move, announced Sunday, signals a clear message: continuity matters, especially when you're on the doorstep of a College Football Playoff run.
“Coach Kiffin and I met yesterday, and he informed us that he is accepting the head coaching position at another school,” said Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter in a statement. “With this development, we could not be more excited to announce Pete Golding as the next head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. His tenure will begin immediately as he leads our program in the pursuit of a national title.”
Golding’s promotion was shared with the team in a Sunday meeting, where players were also officially informed of Kiffin’s exit. According to those present, the energy in the room was electric - a sign that this team isn’t looking to hit the brakes now. Carter noted that the team’s reaction to Golding’s promotion underscored his ability to rally the locker room in a critical moment.
Who is Pete Golding?
Golding is no stranger to high-stakes football. He’s been the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Ole Miss for the past two seasons, helping transform the Rebels’ defense into a far more physical and disciplined unit. Before that, he spent five seasons at Alabama under Nick Saban, where he helped lead one of college football’s most consistently dominant defenses.
That Alabama connection is also where Golding first crossed paths with Kiffin - a relationship that likely played a role in his arrival in Oxford in the first place. Now, he takes over a program in the middle of its most successful season in decades, with a real shot at making noise in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.
Why Golding - and Why Now?
There’s no question that Ole Miss wanted to avoid the kind of chaos that can derail a postseason run. By promoting Golding, the Rebels are betting on stability - and that’s a smart play given the timing.
In the four-team Playoff era, we saw how late-season disruptions could tank a team’s chances. Florida State’s exclusion in 2023, after losing its top two quarterbacks, still lingers in the minds of many.
But this is a new era - and Ole Miss, at 11-1, is firmly in the mix. Promoting Golding helps preserve the identity and chemistry that got them here.
It also keeps the door open for a potential first-round home game - a massive advantage in the new Playoff format.
The Staff Shuffle: Who’s Staying, Who’s Heading to Baton Rouge?
Now comes the next big question: what happens to the rest of the coaching staff?
Sources indicate that much of the offensive staff is expected to follow Kiffin to LSU. That’s not surprising - Kiffin has a reputation for bringing his guys with him, and reports suggest he’s already told assistants they need to make a decision quickly or risk being left out.
But Golding isn’t standing still. According to reports, he’s already making moves to retain key members of the current staff, offering expanded roles and competitive salaries to keep them in Oxford. The pitch is simple: stay and help finish what we started.
Eyes on the Portal: The First Battle Between Golding and Kiffin
The next front in this transition? The transfer portal.
Kiffin built a reputation for being aggressive in the portal, and that approach isn’t likely to change now that he’s at LSU. If he can bring some of Ole Miss’ top talent with him, Golding’s job gets a whole lot harder.
Two names to watch closely: quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, who’s awaiting an eligibility waiver, and standout running back Kewan Lacy. Both are potential game-changers, and both are expected to be high-priority targets for Kiffin as he builds his roster in Baton Rouge.
But the battle won’t stop there. Expect Kiffin to make a full-court press up and down the Rebels’ roster - especially on offense - to bring familiar faces into his new system.
For Golding, the challenge is clear: hold the roster together, keep the culture intact, and ride the momentum into the postseason.
What’s Next?
The first true test of the Golding era won’t come on the field - it’ll come in the locker room and the portal. Can he keep enough of this roster intact to make a deep Playoff run? Can he convince players and staff that staying in Oxford is the best path forward?
One thing’s for sure: the first on-field showdown between Golding and Kiffin is already circled on the calendar. LSU will visit Oxford next fall, and by then, we’ll have a much clearer picture of what this new chapter of Ole Miss football looks like.
But for now, the Rebels are keeping their eyes on the prize - and they’re doing it with a familiar face at the helm.