Ole Miss HC Reacts to Narrative After Lane Kiffin Joined LSU, 'Don't Have S--t to Say'

Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding says it will be his team's play, not his words, that sends a message to former head coach Lane Kiffin during Thursday's College Football Playoff semifinal action.

Golding was asked Wednesday, the day before Ole Miss is set to take on Miami in the Fiesta Bowl for a shot at the national championship game, if he had a message for Kiffin.

"I think our team had a message. They had a message about how prepared, and how they play, and that they weren't tired of playing," Golding said. "And I do think the message is: I'm replaceable, you're replaceable, our players our replaceable. I think you want to build a program to where it's heading in the right direction, and one person, one player, anything like that is not going to derail that.

"There's been too much invested in that, and it's been aligned correctly, that one person is not gonna impact something so drastically. If it is, it's probably not build right."

Golding continued: "The only thing that's different is who's running them out of the tunnel. And to be honest with you, I don't think the players give a damn who runs them out of the tunnel. Does that make sense? They care about their plan. They care about being held accountable, and how they're going to prepare, and they care about people that care about them.

"And I think that's been the message our players have created. But I don't have s--t to say to anybody else."

Kiffin announced his intention to leave Ole Miss in order to take the head coaching job at LSU on Nov. 30. The Rebels almost immediately announced Golding's promotion to head coach.

Ole Miss has since won two playoff games, including a first-round win over Tulane and a Sugar Bowl upset of Georgia, to advance to the semifinal.

The Rebels capped off that run this week by re-signing both star running back Kewan Lacy and quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, pending a NCAA waiver for Chambliss' eligibility, for the 2026 season.

For now, Golding and the Rebels will focus on Thursday's matchup. The winner of the Fiesta Bowl will get the chance to take on the victor of the Peach Bowl, which is set to take place between Oregon and Indiana on Friday, in the national championship game on Jan. 19.