Ole Miss has already named a new head coach

Oct 16, 2021; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Mississippi Rebels helmet on the field before a game between the Tennessee Volunteers and Mississippi Rebels at Neyland Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bryan Lynn-USA TODAY Sports

The Ole Miss Rebels wasted no time in naming a new permanent head coach to replace Lane Kiffin.

Ole Miss announced that defensive coordinator Pete Golding will be the team’s new head coach going forward. Notably, there is no interim tag, indicating that Golding is Kiffin’s permanent successor.

OFFICIAL | Pete Golding Named Head Football Coach at Ole Miss@CoachGolding x #HottyToddy

📰 https://t.co/62UAijwn2k pic.twitter.com/WHMFoxH65S
— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) November 30, 2025

Golding has been defensive coordinator at Ole Miss since 2023. Prior to that, he was Nick Saban’s defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2018 to 2022.

Ole Miss appears to be prioritizing continuity after Kiffin’s departure. Perhaps that is a direct response to the outgoing coach reportedly trying to take a large number of staff members with him to his new job at LSU. Keeping Golding and giving him the head coaching job might dissuade some other Ole Miss assistants from jumping ship.

Golding, 41, has coached one of the best defenses in the SEC since taking over at Ole Miss. At Alabama, his defenses finished top-10 in either scoring or total defense four times in his five seasons there. He also has ties to the state even beyond his current job, having attended college at Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.