The Grove Report

Ole Miss Football Set To Be Without Two Assistants For Miami Clash Amid Move to LSU

Pete Golding and Co. will be without a pair of coveted assistants, remaining in Baton Rouge with Lane Kiffin.
Zack Nagy|
Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding reacts in the fourth quarter during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
Jan 1, 2026; New Orleans, LA, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Pete Golding reacts in the fourth quarter during the 2026 Sugar Bowl and quarterfinal game of the College Football Playoff against the Georgia Bulldogs at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Pete Golding and the Ole Miss Rebels have arrived in Glendale (Ariz.) for the program's Fiesta Bowl showdown against Mario Cristobal's Miami Hurricanes squad.

In a matchup that will decide which program heads to this year's National Championship Game, Ole Miss will look to keep its magical season alive after a pair of College Football Playoff wins over the Tulane Green Wave and Georgia Bulldogs.

But the Rebels will be at a slight "disadvantage" in this one with Golding confirming on Wednesday that Ole Miss will be without a pair of assistant coaches: Georgia McDonald (wide receivers) and Joe Cox (tight ends).

Once Lane Kiffin made his move to LSU, the new shot-caller of the Tigers brought multiple offensive assistant coaches with him to Baton Rouge - including McDonald, Cox, and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., among several others.

Weis Jr. will be in the booth for the Ole Miss versus Miami Hurricanes clash on Thursday, but the Rebels will now be without two critical assistants, according to Golding.

SEC Network's Paul Finebaum believes the coaching controversy will negatively impact both Ole Miss and LSU as the progras navigate critical stretches.

The Rebels are one win away from reaching the National Title Game while LSU is retooling the roster in Baton Rouge via the Transfer Portal in order to emerge as a contender in 2026.

“It’s going to be a problem. Leave it to Lane Kiffin to be sitting there right now with most of his coaching staff having another week (at Ole Miss). He can tweet all he wants, but he expected and I’m sure deep down he was figuring Ole Miss would be out of it early and I could get my staff,” Paul Finebaum said on Friday morning on ESPN’s Get Up.

“This is why he left early, to go to LSU and start recruiting when this portal window opened today. And now he is stuck, and can’t really do much about it. It is going to be a chaotic week.”

Now, all eyes are on Ole Miss with the Rebels and Miami Hurricanes set to square off on Thursday with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.

More Ole Miss News:

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Kirk Herbstreit Shares Take on Ole Miss and the SEC as Oregon, Indiana Battle in CFP

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Follow Zack Nagy on Twitter: @znagy20 and Ole Miss Rebels On SI: @OleMissOnSI for all coverage surrounding the Ole Miss program.

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Zack Nagy
ZACK NAGY

Zack Nagy is the Managing Editor and Publisher of Ole Miss Rebels On SI, a Sports Illustrated Publication. Nagy has covered Rebel Football, Baseball, Basketball and Recruiting, looking to keep readers updated on anything and everything involving Ole Miss athletics. Nagy has covered the Southeastern Conference for over half a decade after being born and raised in New Orleans (La.).

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