TAMPA – Contrary to what one might think, Pete Golding holds “no ill will” toward his former Ole Miss boss. In fact, he’s thankful for what Lane Kiffin did for him.
Golding is entering his first full season as the Rebels’ head coach after spending three years as the team’s defensive coordinator under Kiffin. Golding was elevated to head coach following the conclusion of Ole Miss’s 11-1 regular season when Kiffin took the LSU job. Golding led the Rebels through their first-ever College Football Playoff run, winning an opening round game against Tulane and the CFP quarterfinals at the Sugar Bowl against SEC champion Georgia. Ole Miss’ season ended in a 31-27 loss to Miami in the CFP semifinals at the Fiesta Bowl.
Kiffin hired Golding, who was the Crimson Tide’s defensive coordinator during their 2020 national championship season, away from Alabama following the 2022 season. The Rebels ranked in the top-40 in scoring defense in each of Golding’s three seasons as defensive coordinator, including the No. 2 mark in 2024.
Golding was asked about his relationship with Kiffin at SEC Media Days in Tampa on Wednesday. Here was his answer.
“Lane and I are good. I did not know coach Kiffin prior to taking the Ole Miss job. Everybody assumes Alabama, Alabama. I wasn’t at Alabama when coach Kiffin was. I didn’t come to Ole Miss because of coach Kiffin. I came to Ole Miss to be at Ole Miss to raise three kids. So our relationship really grew in those three-and-a-half years, and he did a lot for me and I was very, very appreciative how he treated me and my family. I learned a lot from him.
“I have no ill will towards coach Kiffin. He texts me on a regular basis, and there are certain things we’ll talk about and certain things we don’t talk about. He’s very competitive just like I’m very competitive. So obviously a lot of this went a different direction. Now he has a new job with new responsibilities and he’s going to be super competitive to be the best he can at that job, which is his job.
“So, I can separate the two. Some people can’t. I tell a lot of these people – I probably shouldn’t say this, but I don’t care, all right? Like I told an Ole Miss group the other day, all right, in 2021 if you said you could look in 2025 and you’re about to be 11-1 and go to the playoff, would you take it if your coach was leaving? Hell yeah. You would. Everybody won from it. It’s okay.
“Keith (Carter, athletics directord) made a great hire. He did a great job. Every place isn’t for everybody. That’s coach, players, that’s your job, that’s everything. That’s OK. So throughout the process, I’ll be the first one to tell you I told him I would think he was dumb if he was to leave. I wanted him to stay. It was a selfish decision because I loved being the DC where I was at. He decided what was better for him and his family, and that’s for him to decide. No ill will towards him at all. Wish him the best of luck. We play him like every other SEC team, and we are going to both show up and spot the ball and play.
“I talk to him on a regular basis. No ill will at all and really appreciative of how he treated me and my family, and then this created an unbelievable opportunity for me as well on top that I really wasn’t looking for, but so appreciative to have.”
Ole Miss hosts LSU on Sept. 19. The Rebels have won three of the last five meetings between the teams.
The Rebels return a pair of Heisman Trophy hopefuls in senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and junior running back Kewan Lacy and have retooled a defense that came on strong as the 2025 campaign progressed.
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