With Lane Kiffin’s decision to join LSU before the College Football Playoff (CFP), Ole Miss was eager to skip a drawn-out coaching search.
The university quickly secured Pete Golding, who had been the defensive coordinator, as the permanent head coach in November 2025. They opted for an interim label initially, hoping that promoting someone familiar could maintain the program’s stability for the upcoming seasons.
Now, let’s talk about Golding, a 41-year-old tasked with guiding the Rebels through the CFP.
He was a former player
Golding hails from Hammond, Louisiana, and played safety for four years at Delta State University, which is located less than an hour from Kiffin’s new position in Baton Rouge and under two hours from Oxford.
He wasted little time getting into coaching, starting as a graduate assistant at Delta State.
Striving towards the top
In 2007, Golding joined Division II Tusculum as the defensive backs coach and was named defensive coordinator within a year. He spent two seasons in that position before returning to Delta State again in the same role for 2010 and 2011.
Afterward, he held the defensive coordinator position at Southeastern Louisiana for two years before becoming the safeties coach at Southern Miss for another two seasons. Then, he stepped up to lead the defense at USTA in 2016 and 2017.
Nick Saban has hired him in the past
Golding made a name for himself towards the end of the 2017 season when he joined Nick Saban’s Alabama staff as a defensive assistant, eventually moving up to defensive coordinator.
He played a role in securing a national title for the program in the 2020 season.
“Pete has done a great job for us,” Saban remarked a year ago after Golding transitioned to Ole Miss. “I like Pete. He’s evolved with us over the years in how he works, and I’ve always appreciated that. He made the decision to go elsewhere for, perhaps, personal reasons or other opportunities.”
He will join Kiffin at Ole Miss, his wife’s alma mater.
In January 2023, Golding took on the role of Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator, continuing a family connection—his wife, Carolyn, graduated from there.
In 2024, the Rebels boasted a stellar defense, only allowing 14.4 points per game, ranking second in the nation behind the national champion Ohio State.
For 2025, Ole Miss’ defense has allowed an average of 20.1 points per game, putting them tied for 25th in the nation.
“I want to thank [athletic director] Keith Carter, Prime Minister [Glenn] Boyce, and the entire Ole Miss coaching staff for their trust in me. Oxford is home, and it’s a tremendous honor to lead one of the country’s top programs. I’m eager to get started and prepare this team for a national championship,” Golding stated.
