Ole Miss has endured plenty of heartbreak — and even more turnover — in recent weeks, with longtime head coach Lane Kiffin spurning the program's contract offer in favor of a deal with SEC rival LSU.
The move famously left the Rebels in a quandary. Allow Kiffin the opportunity to instruct the team in the College Football Playoff? Or strip him of the responsibility and bring someone in whose commitment to Oxford wasn't in doubt?
In the end, the Rebels opted for the latter. Pete Golding was summarily promoted to the head chair on the sideline, the culmination of a three-year spell with the program that saw the former defensive coordinator turn Ole Miss into one of the nation's best defensive sides.
His debut came some three weeks later, with the Rebels taking on an upstart Tulane squad coached by highly-touted tactician — and future Florida taskmaster — Jon Sumrall. The matchup proved an appropriate one to measure Ole Miss' progress. The Rebels faced the Green Wave three months to the day, cruising to a 45-10 win under Kiffin's stewardship.
How did Golding's side perform, by comparison? Here's what you need to know.
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Pete Golding and Lane Kiffin vs Tulane
| Ole Miss vs. Tulane under Golding | Ole Miss vs. Tulane under Kiffin | |
| Sept. 20, 2025 | Date | Dec. 20, 2025 |
| 41-10 | Final Score | 45-10 |
| 497 | Total Yards | 548 |
| 346 | Passing Yards | 307 |
| 151 | Rushing Yards | 241 |
| 421 | Yards Allowed | 382 |
| 1 | Turnovers | 1 |
| 1-5 | Penalties (Yards) | 3-35 |
| 28:30 | Time of Possession | 27:31 |
| 3 | Turnovers Forced | 1 |
Both Golding and Kiffin's sides enjoyed impressive days against Tulane, bouncing their Group of 5 foes with ease under the lights. The Sept. 20 scoreline favored Kiffin, whose team bested the Green Wave by a slightly wider margin than his successor.
Despite the crooked nature of the Saturday's final scoreline, Tulane did find occasional success against Ole Miss. Sumrall's side recorded more than 200 yards of total offense in the opening 30 minutes, a mark not too dissimilar to the 260+ the Rebels tallied. All told, Tulane gained 421 total yards on Saturday.
Nevertheless, Ole Miss withstood the Green Wave's attacks. Golding's squad forced three turnovers, two more than it did in the reverse fixture under Kiffin. It's a skill to bend and not break in postseason play. The Rebels, buoyed by an explosive defensive showing, did just that on Saturday evening.
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Lane Kiffin vs Pete Golding play calling
Charlie Weis Jr. Served as the offensive coordinator in both games agianst Tulane. Ole Miss appeared a bit more willing to pull the trigger on pass plays Saturday, with Trinidad Chambliss and Austin Simmons combining for 31 pass attempts, four more than Ole Miss attempted against Tulane earlier in the year. Chambliss' legs were also on display, with the senior standout tallying six carries for 36 yards and two scores. Kewan Lacy and Logan Diggs also added touchdowns as Ole Miss recorded 34 carries for 151 yards on the day — good for an average of 4.4 yards per carry.
Kiffin's side didn't have as many rushing touchdowns as the Rebels did on Saturday. However, Ole Miss tallied 241 rushing yards on 42 designed carries, an average about six yards a pop. Chambliss was at the heart of the action then, too, gobbling up 112 yards on 14 carries.
All of that is to say, Golding didn't stray too far from what Kiffin put into place in the two sides' last meeting. There were differences, to be sure. But what helped the Rebels best Sumrall's side in September was at play once more on Saturday.
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| Ole Miss vs. Tulane under Golding | Ole Miss vs. Tulane under Kiffin | |
| 34 | Pass attempts | 27 |
| 34 | Carries | 42 |
Where did Pete Golding coach before Ole Miss?
Prior to his time in Oxford, Golding was at Alabama, serving as the Crimson Tide's defensive assistant and, eventually, defensive coordinator. Under his tutelage, Alabama captured the 2020 national title. He also aided in the development of future NFL stars Patrick Surtain II, Will Anderson Jr., Brian Branch and Terrion Arnold.
Golding also enjoyed spells at alma mater Delta State (defensive backs coach/defensive coordinator) as well as Tusculum (defensive backs coach/defensive coordinator), Southeastern Louisiana (defensive coordinator), Southern Mississippi (defensive backs coach) and UTSA (cornerbacks coach/defensive coordinator).
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How old is Pete Golding?
Golding is 41 years old. He'll turn 42 on February 8.
At 41 years, 10 months and 12 days old, Golding is now the youngest head coach in the SEC. He is a little more than one month younger than Mississippi State boss Jeff Lebby, his closest adversary in terms of age. Golding is a little more than eight years younger than Kiffin.