Nick Saban Clarifies Stance on Major SEC Coach Before 2026 College Football Season

Nick Saban gave a ringing endorsement of this head coach during 2026 SEC Media Days.

Jul 22, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; former Alabama Crimson Tide coach and ESPN analyst for College GameDay Nick Saban broadcast during SEC Football Kickoff Media Day at the Tampa Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Pete Golding has earned a controversial reputation among college football coaches in the months after Ole Miss promoted him to head coach from his defensive coordinator post.

The Rebels' acquisition of California transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli turned heads across the college football world for the wrong reasons in January. Ferrelli had announced his commitment to Clemson and enrolled in classes there before flipping to Ole Miss, a move widely regarded as tampering.

Conversely, Golding was heralded for his leadership of the Rebels in the 2026 College Football Playoff. Despite all of the outside noise stemming from Lane Kiffin's messy exit at the end of November, the Rebels remained poised throughout their run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Former Alabama head coach and current ESPN College GameDay panelist Nick Saban is among those who think highly of Golding. He issued the first-year head coach a strong endorsement on the SEC Network during SEC Media Days, reflecting on their time together at Alabama.

"I think Pete is a ball guy. He's one of the best coaches that we had, and we've had some good ones that are having a lot success out there as head coaches," Saban said. "I think Pete is going to fit into that. He's very authentic, he's a good football guy, he knows personnel and he can recruit really well."

When did Golding coach under Saban at Alabama?

Alabama Defensive Coordinator Pete Golding coaches during a time out during the first half of the Citrus Bowl Jan. 1, 2020 in Orlando. [Staff Photo/Gary Cosby Jr.] Citrus Bowl Alabama Vs Michigan | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Golding became the penultimate of Saban's defensive coordinators at Alabama when he took the position in 2018. He served in the same position at UTSA for the previous two seasons under Frank Wilson, who is now on his Ole Miss staff as the running backs coach.

The Crimson Tide won no fewer than 11 games in each of Golding's five seasons in Tuscaloosa, prevailing in SEC Championship games in three of those seasons.

The pinnacle of Golding's stint at Alabama was the Crimson Tide's national championship victory in 2020, winning all but one game by two or more scores in its journey.

What makes Golding a long-term fit for Ole Miss?

Strong defense should be an expectation when a program hires a former defensive coordinator as its head coach, but there were questions surrounding the continuity of the Rebels' offense when they hired Golding.

Despite the fact that Kiffin and offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. are both gone, Golding has taken an important step in preserving the offense's potency.

He hired former East Carolina offensive coordinator John David Baker as the Rebels' replacement for Weis Jr. Baker joined Kiffin's staff as the tight ends coach and passing game coordinator in 2021 and was promoted to co-offensive coordinator the following season.

Kiffin developed somewhat of a dependency on the NCAA transfer portal as a tool for sustainability while he was at Ole Miss.

Golding's prior knowledge of the talent wells in and around the state of Mississippi has allowed him to assemble a 2027 recruiting class full of blue-chip talent; he both played and coached at Delta State University in Cleveland, Mississippi and held the defensive coordinator position at Southern Miss from 2014-15.