Ole Miss' Pete Golding Talks State of Lane Kiffin Relationship After HC's Exit for LSU

Old Miss football head coach Pete Golding told reporters at SEC Media Days on Wednesday that he and LSU head coach Lane Kiffin are on good terms.

Kiffin was Ole Miss' head coach from 2020-2025, but he left Oxford for LSU last November. Golding, who served as Ole Miss' defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach under Kiffin from 2023-2025, got promoted after Kiffin departed.

Kiffin's departure for LSU was messy, to say the least, and he ultimately didn't leave on good terms. ESPN's Mark Schlabach provided a thorough rundown of that exit, but of note, Golding and the rest of Ole Miss' defensive coaches wanted to stay aboard after a staff member polled Rebel assistants asking where they'd like to be in 2026. All but one offensive assistant coach preferred to leave with Kiffin at his next destination, which at the time was between LSU and Florida.

So Golding stayed in town and got Kiffin's old job, and Kiffin left after Ole Miss' 38-19 Egg Bowl win over rival Mississippi State in late November amid the Rebels' run to the College Football Playoff.

Ole Miss, then 11-1, earned the No. 6 seed in the CFP and engineered a run to the semifinals under Golding, beating Tulane 41-10 and upsetting Georgia 39-34 before falling to Miami 31-27.

The Tigers and Rebels won't have to wait long to see each other this year, as Ole Miss will host LSU on Saturday, Sept. 19.