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The closely watched drama in the world of college football has finally come to an end. Lane Kiffin, head coach at Ole Miss for the past six years, boarded a flight to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday.
Kiffin was formally introduced as LSU’s next head coach on Monday. Ole Miss quickly responded to Kiffin’s departure by elevating Pete Golding from defensive coordinator to head coach.
While Kiffin’s departure sparked considerable backlash, former ESPN anchor and current sports commentator and podcast host Bomani Jones turned his attention to the coach’s hand-picked successor.
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Pete Golding before a game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Georgia Bulldogs on October 18, 2025 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jones criticized Golding’s performance during his tenure as Ole Miss defensive coordinator. He also put forward a theory about Golding’s appearance.
THE COACH WHO LEFT OLE MISS TO JOIN LANE KIFFIN AT LSU WILL FINISH THE SEASON WITH REBELS
“I knew him by name. I saw a picture of him and thought, ‘There’s no way that guy is a head coach,'” Jones said.
Bomani Jones, November 4, 2021, in Atlanta. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix)
Golding has coached for nearly two decades, but this will be his first opportunity to lead a football program competing in a Power Four conference.
Kiffin led the Rebels to victory over Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl Rivalry Game Friday to secure an 11-1 record for Ole Miss. While Ole Miss did not qualify for this week’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, the seventh-ranked Rebels are in position to advance to the College Football Playoff.
Whatever game Ole Miss ends up playing later this month, it will be Golding’s first opportunity as the Rebels’ head coach. After reportedly meeting with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and school chancellor Glenn Boyce, Kiffin learned that his time as the Rebels’ coach had come to an end.
LSU football coach Lane Kiffin speaks at the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium on Dec. 1, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Matthew Hinton/Image Images)
“I looked forward to completing 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 commitment to finishing strong and investing everything in a playoff run with barriers to protect the program in any areas of concern,” Kiffin said in a statement.
LSU parted ways with Brian Kelly in late October, shortly after the Tigers lost a home game to Texas A&M.
