OXFORD – Ole Miss is set to hire East Carolina offensive coordinator John David Baker – who was previously an assistant on Lane Kiffin’s Rebels staff – to the same position, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Ole Miss has also announced the return of former Kiffin staff member Kelvin Bolden, who was most recently the assistant general manager at LSU.
Baker spent the 2021-23 seasons as an assistant at Ole Miss, his final two as the co-offensive coordinator with Charlie Weis Jr. He’s served as the lead play caller the last two seasons for the Pirates, who have averaged 32 points and 33.5 points per game in 2024 and 2025, respectively. East Carolina averaged 17.3 points per game the season prior to Baker’s arrival. The Pirates have averaged 464.7 yards of offense per game this season – good for 14th nationally – and their 280.7 passing yards per game is 15th in the FBS. East Carolina quarterback Katin Houser is 11th nationally with 3,300 passing yards and has four 300-plus yard passing games this season.
Weis Jr. is following Kiffin, who officially took the head coaching job at LSU on Nov. 30, to Baton Rouge but is staying with the Rebels through the College Football Playoff. Ole Miss elevated defensive coordinator Pete Golding to permanent head coach the same day Kiffin, who went 55-19 in six seasons with the Rebels, announced his departure. Ole Miss is 11th nationally at 37.3 points per game and ranks third in total offense at 498.1 yards per game.
As has been the case at Ole Miss under Weis and Kiffin, pace and tempo are a major part of East Carolina’s offense under Baker. The Pirates are fourth nationally at 940 plays run (78.3 per game), while Ole Miss is tied for 11th with 898 plays run (74.8 per game).
Bolden was the coordinator of recruiting strategy at Ole Miss from 2022-24 and spent the 2025 season at LSU. His position on Golding’s staff has not been announced.
No. 6 seed Ole Miss hosts No. 11 seed Tulane at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Dec. 20. It is the Rebels’ first appearance in the CFP and will be Golding’s first game as Ole Miss’ head coach. Ole Miss has won 11 games in the regular season for the first time ever and has notched three straight double-digit win seasons for the first time in program history.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
