Ole Miss has promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach, replacing Lane Kiffin, who left to become LSU’s head coach on Sunday.
The school announced the promotion Sunday afternoon shortly after the players were informed of Kiffin’s departure and Golding’s promotion and less than three weeks before the Rebels are expected to host a College Football Playoff game in Oxford, Miss. Dec. 19 or 20.
“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,” Ole Miss AD Keith Carter said in a statement. “Today’s team meeting was a clear indicator of his ability to galvanize our squad. All of our players and coaches are ecstatic and ready to lock arms for a playoff run.”
No. 7 Ole Miss set a program record with its 11th regular-season win Friday vs. Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, 38-19. Kiffin, who had been reportedly considered a return to Ole Miss as well as job offers at Florida and LSU, informed LSU on Saturday he would be accepting its head coach position after six seasons leading the Rebels.
Golding, 41, will be a first-time head coach after a career coaching across the Southeast. He’s concluding his third season as Ole Miss defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach, spending the three prior seasons (2020-22) as Alabama defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach and five seasons total under Nick Saban.
The Hammond, La. native transformed Ole Miss’ defense during his time leading that side of the ball. His 2024 defense led the nation in sacks (52) and tackles for loss (120) and ranked second nationally in scoring defense (14.4 points per game).
This year’s defense ranks third in the Southeastern Conference and 20th nationally in passing defense (182.6 yards per game) and 25th in scoring defense (20.1 ppg).
“I would like to thank Keith Carter, Chancellor Boyce and the entire Ole Miss leadership team for placing their trust in me. Oxford is home, and it’s an incredible honor to lead one of the nation’s premier programs, and I can’t wait to get to work immediately and prepare this team to win a national championship,” Golding said in a statement.
“Ole Miss Football is special. Since the day I arrived, I’ve felt the passion, pride and unwavering support of Rebel Nation. This is a place where expectations are high, and football is woven into the fabric of the community. Our mission moving forward is clear: we will play with toughness, discipline and relentless effort in everything we do. We will recruit at the highest level, develop our players on and off the field, and compete every single day to bring championships to Oxford. Most importantly, we will represent this university with class and integrity.
“To the Ole Miss family, thank you for your support and belief. I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I can’t wait to attack this challenge together.”
Kiffin shared a statement on his X account, stating that he expressed his desire to coach Ole Miss through the remainder of the 2025 season, but that request was denied by Carter and the Ole Miss administration.
–Field Level Media
