Pete Golding, in his SEC Media Days debut in Tampa, said he has prioritized overhauling Ole Miss’ strength program, shifted into a more managerial role and defended the school amid tampering allegations, while insisting he has no personal ill will toward Lane Kiffin.
Golding said continuity was important when he first became head coach, but he has since made targeted changes, naming Paul Constantine — a former Alabama colleague who worked for the Atlanta Falcons — to lead strength and conditioning after Nick Savage left for LSU. “I don’t think it’s old school college, and it’s not all the way to the NFL,” Golding told reporters, saying he wanted an “NFL mind” to help set up offseason work and the spring model.
Golding said he also has moved to delegate more as head coach, hiring Austin Thomas as general manager and bringing in former Delta State coach Todd Cooley as an assistant, while elevating former Rebel quarterback Tom Luke’s role in daily operations. “The delegation piece has been a process for me throughout it,” Golding said, adding that staffers now understand their roles and are “pulling in the same direction.”
Asked about his relationship with Kiffin, Golding said the two remain cordial and communicate regularly. He told reporters he did not come to Ole Miss because of Kiffin and said he is grateful for how Kiffin treated his family during their time in Oxford. Golding added that the teams will be fierce competitors on the field: “I have no ill will toward Coach Kiffin. He texts me on a regular basis … He’s very competitive just like I’m very competitive.”
On tampering, Golding said Ole Miss relies on its compliance department but also criticized the rules governing contact with players in the transfer portal and suggested such behavior is widespread in college football. Clemson coach Dabo Swinney publicly criticized Ole Miss over linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who had enrolled at Clemson before transferring to Ole Miss, and the NCAA has reportedly opened an investigation into the matter, according to reports. Golding concluded by expressing confidence in his roster after retaining players such as Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy, Will Echoles and Suntarine Perkins and adding a nationally regarded portal class, saying the staff has created depth and accountability across both sides of the ball.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
