Lane Kiffin: Ole Miss adding 'championship-caliber' coach in Pete Golding

Pete Golding is crossing state lines, leaving Alabama in favor of Ole Miss. He will maintain his defensive coordinator role but will now report to head coach Lane Kiffin. It’s a major move for the Rebels, who are strengthening their own program while taking a key staffer from an SEC West rival.

Kiffin released a statement on hiring Golding, saying a “championship-caliber” coach to Oxford. Golding has won multiple SEC championships with the Crimson Tide and was crowned a national champion after defeating Ohio State during the 2020 season.

“We are excited to add a championship-caliber coach like Pete Golding to our staff,” Kiffin said. “At multiple stops in his career, Coach Golding has directed some of college football’s top defenses.”

Golding has been in charge of slowing down Kiffin’s offense for the past three seasons and has done a decent job at times. While Ole Miss has averaged 31 points per game against Alabama under Kiffin, the last two have been under 30 points. 2020’s matchup was an exciting shootout.

As a whole, Alabama has produced countless NFL talent on the defensive end. Golding will be hoping to bring similar results to Ole Miss. Getting those types of prospects into your program is the first step, as Kiffin is excited to get Golding as a recruiter on staff.

“He is also an outstanding recruiter and understands the level of talent necessary to compete at the highest level,” Kiffin said. “I think this continues to show our commitment to taking Ole Miss Football to the next level.”

Golding was able to recruit the state of Louisiana well for Alabama under head coach Nick Saban. He will now be going head-to-head against his old school and will be dawning a new logo on his quarter zips. A big statement can be made by Ole Miss with this hire.