Pete Golding Takes the Reins at Ole Miss, But Keeps the Spotlight on the Players
When Pete Golding officially stepped into the head coaching role at Ole Miss on November 30, he didn’t just inherit a team with an 11-1 record and a spot in the College Football Playoff. He also stepped into a program with some of the most colorful game day traditions in college football-traditions that Lane Kiffin helped turn into viral moments and sideline spectacles.
Now, with his first game as head coach set for December 20 against Tulane at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, Golding is facing a different kind of decision: what to do with the fire extinguishers, the sideline dunk contests, and even the pregame walk with a dog through the Walk of Champions.
His answer? Let the players decide.
“I’m going to let those guys vote on it,” Golding said during a virtual press conference on December 17. “If you felt like it had an impact on the game, and it helped us win or lose, then let’s do it. If it’s something you felt didn’t have an impact on the game and doesn’t impact winning or losing and you don’t like it, then let’s not do it.”
That player-first mindset is already showing up in small but telling ways. Golding has made a few subtle changes since taking over-nothing drastic, but enough to signal that this is a new era, even if it’s one that’s starting midstream.
One of the first things to go? The portable basketball hoop in the team meeting room, a fixture under Kiffin.
Golding also relaxed the rules on practice cleats, allowing players to wear red and blue instead of just black and white. It’s a small detail, but one that reflects his willingness to give players a bit more freedom within the structure.
But don’t expect sweeping changes just yet. Golding made it clear that he views this season as a continuation of the one Kiffin started, and he’s not looking to overhaul the routine with the playoffs looming.
“For a lot of this stuff, like I told the players, I see this still as 2025,” Golding said. “I think routines are very important to players. This is our responsibility to fulfill this season with how it started.”
That approach-steady hand, player-led-could be exactly what this team needs as it prepares for the biggest game in program history. The Rebels are hosting Tulane in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and all signs point to a packed Grove and picture-perfect weather for the occasion. It’s a moment loaded with significance, and Golding isn’t trying to fix what isn’t broken.
Still, he’s not without influence. Golding acknowledged that his own kids have started lobbying for their favorite traditions to stick around. His middle child, Bentley, even asked if he could hold a fire extinguisher on the sideline.
“To me, that’s about the players,” Golding said. “That’s not a decision that I’m going to make and take away something that they enjoy, or make them do that they don’t want to do.
Every championship team that I’ve been a part of was player-led. That’s the good thing about this team.”
It’s clear that Golding isn’t just talking the talk. He’s giving his players ownership of the culture, even as he begins to put his own stamp on the program. Whether the sideline theatrics continue or not, the core message is simple: this team belongs to the players, and their voice matters.
As the Rebels gear up for their playoff showdown, the energy around the program is high-and so is the trust between coach and team. Golding may be the new face at the top, but he’s letting the heartbeat of the team stay exactly where it belongs: with the players on the field.