Lane Kiffin is out, and Pete Golding is in.
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding was named the program's head football coach Sunday, the same day Kiffin announced he is bolting for LSU after weeks of buzz.
Pete Golding in October 2025. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Golding has been the team's defensive coordinator for the past two seasons after arriving from Alabama, leading a unit that helped push the Rebels to an 11–1 regular season and No. 7 in the country.
In a statement Sunday, Kiffin — who had guided Ole Miss since 2020 — said Friday's Egg Bowl win over Mississippi State was his last.
"After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU," Kiffin said.
Lane Kiffin is leaving for LSU. Petre Thomas-Imagn Images
"I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year's team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team's incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a layoff run with guardrails in place to the protect the program in any areas of concern. My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance."
The news of Kiffin's departure comes as the College Football Playoff looms.
It had been previously reported that ex-Giants coach and current Ole Miss quarterbacks coach Joe Judge could be elevated to fill Kiffin's role.
