Ole Miss HC Pete Golding Shares His Favorite Nick Saban Story

The College Football Playoff is down to just four teams, all of which are led by former Nick Saban assistants. Ahead of the semifinal matchup with Ole Miss and Miami, Rebels head coach Pete Golding joined ESPN's College GameDay to share one of his most memorable moments from his time spent working alongside the legendary coach.

Golding, who was on staff from 2018 to 2022 as the Tide's inside linebackers coach and defensive coordinator, spoke of a time in which he and another now former assistant, Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, were taking a bit of time off without Saban's knowledge.

He shared a story of a time in which the pair took to the golf course on a Friday afternoon in the offseason, unbeknownst to Saban, and accidentally wound up playing right alongside the former head coach.

In the College Football Playoff, Dan Lanning, Mario Cristobal, Pete Golding and Curt Cignetti have all served as assistants under Saban 🔥

Each of Saban's disciples talk about their experiences and favorite memories working under the coach considered the greatest of all time. pic.twitter.com/mROOtgKhqN
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 8, 2026

Golding said, "We've got two golf courses in Tuscaloosa, and on Fridays in the offseason, [Saban] would sneak out after lunch." He continued, beginning to crack a smile as his story unfurled, "And it was not told that you had the afternoon off yourself."

"So, [Sarkisian] and I, and a couple other coaches, we were on hole eleven, and we look down the right and are like 'Holy s***. It's Saban.'"

"[Saban] is over there, and there's a couple branches and things stuck in the way, so we think, 'He can't see us.' And then [Sarkisian] hits a hole in one. I s*** you not. He'd never hit a hole in one in his life, but Saban is 120 yards away and we're supposed to be at work, so we are just mute," Golding said.

"We're jumping up, but no one was high fiving, no one was yelling. You can't make this up."

He finished his story, saying, "That just goes to show the fear that coach Saban will put into grown people."

Saban was asked if he remembered seeing his former assistants on the golf course that day to which he responded, laughing, "I saw them on the tee box, but I didn't see the hole in one."

He continued, "See these guys did not learn the process very well because Kirby [Smart's] technique, since he knew the guys I played with, was as soon as we got out the door, he'd call and ask, 'Which course are y'all going to?' And they'd go to the other one."

“One thing that they learned from me, it's how to get your ass chewed out.” 😅

Coach Saban talking about his former assistants 😂 pic.twitter.com/TUwqMQ4Z3w
— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) January 8, 2026

"You know we had a lot of fun together... All these guys were different. Mario [Cristobal] was an offensive line coach, Pete [Golding] was a defensive coordinator, Dan Lanning was a linebacker guy and [Curt] Cignetti was a receivers coach. But they all won a national championship while they were with us."

Saban continued praising his former associates, saying, "But they had some characteristics that were very similar. They had great competitive character, they were good people, they were good teachers, they could relate well with the players and if there's one thing they learned from me, it's how to get your a** chewed out."

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