Ole Miss Football head coach Pete Golding appeared on the “Always College Football with Greg McElroy” podcast on Monday, April 13. He spoke about the situation with Lane Kiffin that led to Golding’s promotion to head coach.
Kiffin’s last game as the Ole Miss head coach was the Egg Bowl on Friday, Nov. 28. Ole Miss won handily, 38-19.
“Obviously, the Egg Bowl was that Friday. I rode back with Kiff. (Kiffin’s son) Knox had a (high school) playoff game, so we took the van back instead of riding back with the team,” Golding said. “I still couldn’t get a real feel because I was with him the whole time, (and) he was like, ‘Tuesday, I’m going to Florida. Wednesday, I’m going to LSU. Thursday, I’m staying.’”
Kiffin officially departed the Ole Miss program on Sunday, Nov. 30, but Golding said that the former head coach had made up his mind the night before.
“Then Saturday night, I got the first call from (Vice Chancellor of Intercollegiate Athletics) Keith (Carter) Saturday night saying, ‘Hey, Kiff’s decided to go elsewhere. Let’s meet at 7:30 (the next morning),’” Golding said.
Just after noon on Sunday, Carter offered Golding the head coaching job.
“We went in … started talking about some things, then he met with the players’ council, and then it got real (at) about 12:20 (p.m.) that day,” Golding said. “They called me back over there, the chancellor and Keith, and were like, ‘Hey man, we really want you to do this. We think it’s the right time. We think you’re the right guy.’”
Golding initially did not want to be the head coach. He was satisfied with his role as defensive coordinator.
“I kind of expressed throughout it that I love my role. You ain’t gotta worry about me going anywhere. I can’t (leave) because of my family and all that,” Golding said. “It goes back to timing to me. It just felt right. There wasn’t anything that I wanted or asked for, any of those types of things.”
If Golding did not take the job, Carter and Ole Miss Athletics might have turned to another coach who was on the staff. However, Golding accepted. In his first move as head coach, he attempted to convince offensive assistants to stay at Ole Miss instead of leaving for Baton Rouge, La., on Kiffin’s plane and joining the LSU staff.
“They (Carter and the athletic department) had mentioned a couple other names, and to be honest with you, I’m like, ‘I really don’t want to work for somebody else at this point in my career. Let’s just do this,’” Golding said. “I didn’t ask how much. I didn’t ask how many years. I just went straight over to the building and started recruiting some offensive staff. Try to keep them off the plane by two o’clock.”
Despite his initial reservations, Golding quickly fell in love with his new position.
“I never thought I’d want to do it at this age (42), and then after five days being into it, I was like, ‘I wish I would have done this a long time ago,’” Golding said.
The players erupted in applause during the team meeting when Carter announced that Golding had been named the new head coach. Golding said that he was caught off-guard.
“We had a one o’clock team meeting. I had no idea,” Golding said. “I was meeting with an offensive coach, and (at) 12:58 (p.m.), (someone said), ‘Hey, come in here,’ and that was the announcement. That was a little bit of a surprise.”
Golding’s first week at the helm was a vital one for the program not just because he had been named head coach but also because the team was preparing for its first College Football Playoff game in program history. National Signing Day also fell during that week.
“This is the Sunday before our Wednesday signing day. We weren’t concerned from a defensive standpoint, but I hadn’t had a relationship with the offensive guys that were outside of my area,” Golding said. “(I was) trying to do that and retention of staff and all that.”
Golding spent his first few days in the new position speaking with parents and players; he was also in talks with Ole Miss coaches who were considering departing for LSU. With all the chaos and drama swirling around the program, Golding welcomed this busy schedule.
“(My promotion) happened super fast, but it was a blessing, to be honest with you, that you had a game in two weeks,” Golding said. “It was a blessing to me that signing day was Wednesday because you just went straight to work, and you had nothing to think about.”
Golding did not overthink his upgraded role. Even amid the excitement, he focused on doing what was needed of him.
“There was never a dull moment. (I) didn’t have time to think about it, to be honest with you,” Golding said. “It’s one of those things — shooters shoot. You got your opportunity, you gotta roll.”
Golding and the Rebels went on to defeat Tulane and Georgia in the College Football Playoffs. He also brought in the No. 22 recruiting and No. 2 portal classes in the country.
