Ole Miss heads into 2026 with a new man running the program, and Pete Golding is already getting a meaningful endorsement from one of the most recognizable names in Rebels history.
Archie Manning, whose own career still carries serious weight in Oxford, said he likes what he has seen from Golding as the coach takes over in a difficult spot. Golding was thrust into the job after Lane Kiffin’s departure following the 2025 regular season, when Kiffin left for LSU, and he was the one tasked with steering Ole Miss through the College Football Playoff.
That run was a mixed bag, but it was hardly a quiet one. The Rebels went 2-1 in the playoff, rolling past Tulane, surviving Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, and then falling to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.
Golding now has full control of the program, and he has spent the offseason building and keeping together the roster for what Ole Miss hopes will be another CFP push in 2026. Manning’s backing only adds to that momentum.
“He recruited Arch for Alabama, so Cooper and Ellen got to know Pete very well,” Manning said in a video from Matt DeGregorio of WLOX. “Actually, Olivia and Pete kind of became friends the few times we met him.
So, I like Pete. I like him.
I knew he was a good defensive coordinator, and I've been impressed with how he's taken over a very unique, tough situation there. The way he's taken off, it seems to me people approve of the way he's doing.
“So, we're looking forward to hopefully a good year.”
Golding’s path to the head job wasn’t exactly a surprise in terms of experience. He spent three seasons as Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator before being promoted, and he had already earned a reputation on the defensive side before that at Alabama, where he was in that same role when he recruited Arch Manning.
For Rebels fans, Archie’s opinion still matters. Manning’s place in Ole Miss lore is secure: he played quarterback there from 1968-70 and finished with 4,753 passing yards, 31 passing touchdowns, 823 rushing yards and 25 rushing scores. He was fourth in Heisman voting in 1969 and third in 1970, then went second overall in the NFL Draft to the New Orleans Saints.
His name once stood as the standard for Ole Miss quarterbacking success until Eli Manning, his youngest son, broke many of his school records during his 2000-03 run at the school. Since then, the Rebels have had other notable quarterbacks in the modern era, including Jevan Snead, Matt Corral, Jaxson Dart and Trinidad Chambliss.
Ole Miss will open the 2026 season in Nashville against Louisville on Sept. 6.
Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will air on ABC.
In Other News...
Trinidad Chambliss Just Addressed Ole Miss Fans Biggest Offensive Fear
Ole Miss spent much of the offseason trying to answer the obvious question around its offense: how much changes when there is a new play-caller in place? Trinidad Chambliss helped calm some of that talk by framing the transition as more of a language shift than a scheme overhaul, with the Rebels getting ready for Pete Goldings first full regular season and John David Baker stepping in as offensive coordinator.
Chambliss view matters because the quarterback room also looks different now, with Deuce Knight and Walker Howard added to the mix. Howard brings back a familiar veteran presence in Oxford after stops at LSU and Louisiana, while Knight gives the room more long-term intrigue, and for a fan base wondering whether continuity will survive the coaching shuffle, that combination may matter almost as much as the playbook itself. [Read more 🡒]
Pete Golding Is Bringing Familiar Rebel Fire Back To Oxford
Pete Goldings staff in Oxford is getting a heavier Rebel feel to it, and the latest additions underscore just how much Ole Miss is leaning into its own history. The program has brought in several former players with real coaching mileage, a move that fits the broader push to surround the current team with people who know what it means to wear the jersey and understand the expectations that come with it.
Among those helping shape the new-look staff are Terrance Metcalf, Marcus Woodson and Michael Spurlock, each bringing a different path back to Oxford. Metcalf is stepping in as assistant offensive coordinator, Woodson arrived after leaving Arkansas, and Spurlock has made his way back into collegiate coaching with the Rebels, giving Golding a mix of familiarity and experience that could matter as this staff settles in. [Read more 🡒]
Former Ole Miss QB Calls Out Lane Kiffin Over Exit Story
Lane Kiffins move from Ole Miss to LSU has already become one of the SECs most talked-about departures, and the noise around it has only grown as he has offered different explanations for why he left Oxford. The former Rebels coach has pointed to issues beyond football in describing the decision, which has kept the story alive well after the coaching search and the roster fallout had moved on.
Now the controversy has reached outside the usual college-football echo chamber, with lawmakers even floating a proposed "Lane Kiffin rule" as part of the Protect College Sports Act. For Ole Miss fans, the bigger issue is that the exit story keeps shifting while the debate over Kiffins real motivation refuses to go away, leaving the program and its supporters still sorting through what happened and why. [Read more 🡒]