Paul Finebaum evaluates Pete Golding hire by Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Ole Miss made a big splash by hiring Pete Golding as its new defensive coordinator, pulling him from Nick Saban and Alabama. However, it was a move that many pendants, like Paul Finebaum, thought was a curious move.

During an appearance on McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning, Finebaum gave his thoughts on Lane Kiffin and Ole Miss hiring Pete Golding.

“Well, here’s what’s interesting, Cole,” Paul Finebaum said. “Only with Lane Kiffin does Pete Golding look like an upgrade for Ole Miss while Alabama fans are rejoicing that he’s finally gone. I mean, it’s a complex situation.”

Chris Partridge called the plays in 2022 for Ole Miss, taking over the role from DJ Durkin. However, Ole Miss finished the year just 57th in scoring defense. Meanwhile, despite the defense being a point of frustration for Alabama fans, Golding had the Crimson Tide at ninth in the country in scoring defense.

“But, he needed an upgrade this year. I think he took a hit when Durkin left to go to [Texas] A&M and this is an upgrade for him, but Lane Kiffin really, I think, has to take a good look at what went wrong down the stretch. It’s easy for the media to say it all well, it had everything to do with his distractions at Auburn, but that continued on, even in the postseason.”

Ole Miss started the 2022 season at 7-0 and looked like one of the game’s best teams. However, the Rebels lost five of their last six games, including the Egg Bowl and Texas Bowl, to go just 8-5 and finish the season unranked.

“So, I think he needs a pretty quick and comprehensive revaluation of where everything is right now,” Paul Finebaum concluded.

Lane Kiffin says that Ole Miss added a championship-level coach

Despite some question marks about the decision to hire Pete Golding, Lane Kiffin believes that Ole Miss added a championship-caliber coach with the hire.

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

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