Former Nick Saban defensive coordinator accepts college football head coaching job

Alabama Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Pete Golding (left) alongside head coach Nick Saban | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The college football coaching carousel spins like a top, and if you don't for a second get it to stop, you might just miss some major news going down. Such as... Lane Kiffin slowly but surely officially departing Ole Miss for LSU. But before ink appears to even be dry on that deal, reports are that the Rebels have found their new head coach.

Earlier on Sunday, On3 reported that much of Lane Kiffin's offensive staff at Ole Miss was expected to join him at LSU, while John Talty of CBS Sports reported that defensive coordinator Pete Golding was not expected to follow Kiffin to the Bayou. "Amidst speculation of which staff could follow Lane Kiffin to LSU, multiple sources have told Matt Zenitz and me — Ole Miss DC Pete Golding is not expected to be one of them," he posted on X.

A little later on Sunday, a new report has surfaced from On3 suggesting that Pete Golding is not only remaining in Oxford amid a Kiffin departure — but he'll be the new head coach. And no, he is not the interim head coach, according to Chris Low and Pete Nakos. They say Pete Golding is your next Ole Miss Rebels head football coach.

"Ole Miss has named Pete Golding its next head coach, per On3’s Pete Nakos and Chris Low," Grant Grubbs wrote in a story. "Golding has been Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator since 2023 under Lane Kiffin. Kiffin is leaving Ole Miss to become LSU’s head coach. The Rebels reportedly held a team meeting at 1 p.m. CT today and multiple players emerged from the meeting supporting Golding."

Pete Golding background, contract info

Mississippi Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin (left) and Mississippi Rebels defensive coordinator Pete Golding (right) | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Stephen Thomas Golding, known to college football fans as Pete Golding, was a Delta State safety back in his own college days, at who knows what level. But as a coach, he worked his way up to become the defensive coordinator at UTSA in a big FBS break, which he sprung into a gig as the Alabama DC under Nick Saban in another huge step up. After a stint in that role, he and the Tide separated and Golding wound up at Ole Miss from 2023 to now, when he'll take over as the head coach for an 11-1 College Football Playoff lock.

Golding had just inked an extension with Ole Miss worth a total of $7.85 million over 2025 plus the next two years, averaging $2.6 million per season over the three it lasted. Golding is an obvious candidate to lead the Rebels in the interim, and if that goes well in the postseason, of course he could win the Ole Miss job.