Lane Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss was so messy that it kept the 50-year-old from even coaching the Rebels in the playoffs. Ole Miss didn’t waste much time dwelling on it. The program quickly turned the page and handed the reins to defensive coordinator Pete Golding. Now, as the Rebels gear up to face the Green Waves in the playoffs, the new head coach is already putting his personal mark on the team.

Golding made a subtle but noticeable tweak to how the Rebels take the field. During his tenure, it was always Lane Kiffin soaking up the spotlight during one of Ole Miss’s most iconic traditions. Before every home game, about two hours before kickoff, the team and coaches walk through the Grove along a brick path that leads straight to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Thousands of fans pack both sides, cheering, high-fiving, and hyping up the Rebels as they head to the stadium.

That is set to change when they take the field at Oxford for their first-round matchup against Tulane. Instead of the head coach, the players will lead the way through the Grove.

The famous arch at the entrance was a gift from the undefeated 1962 team. Kiffin loved the tradition and once called the Walk of Champions one of the “coolest traditions in college football.” But with Pete Golding now in charge, things are a little different.

And maybe it’s even a quiet message about how this team plans to move forward without its former head coach. Golding’s top priority since taking over has been simple. He wants to bring stability back to Ole Miss and keep the roster and staff intact. That wasn’t easy, especially after Lane Kiffin reportedly took nearly 90 percent of the Rebels’ offensive coaches with him.

Even so, Golding managed to retain offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr. and several other assistants, keeping them on board to coach the team through the College Football Playoff before they eventually head to LSU. From there, Golding went straight into reset mode. He’s worked hard to refocus the locker room on one clear ‘mission’ of winning a national championship.

He’s met one-on-one with players across the entire roster, including offensive guys he didn’t know as well before. Golding has also been proactive about the future, bringing in newly hired 2026 staff members, like offensive coordinator John David Baker, early and giving current players a chance to connect with them. And when he addressed the team as head coach, his message couldn’t have been clearer. “We will play with toughness, discipline, and relentless effort in everything we do,” he said.

The dynamic between the two coaches

Lane Kiffin’s exit from Ole Miss might have been messy, but his first public reaction to Pete Golding’s promotion was anything but hostile. When Pete Golding went on to become the new head coach, Kiffin had a supportive response to it.

“So happy for everyone!!! Great hire,” he said. Ole Miss moved quickly because the program was staring at a College Football Playoff berth and could not afford a prolonged coaching search or a fractured locker room.

Golding had already led a secondary that allowed just 20.1 points per game and helped power an 11–1 regular season. His hire gave AD Keith Carter a ready-made option who knew the roster, scheme, and culture. Golding spent five seasons at Alabama, where he called Nick Saban’s defenses and stacked multiple top‑10 finishes in scoring and total defense. The urgency was boosted by the drama surrounding Kiffin’s departure. Carter refused to let him coach the Rebels in the playoff against Tulane if he finalized a deal with LSU.

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In that environment, promoting Golding offered stability while avoiding a circus during a high‑stakes playoff run. Culturally, Golding represents a deliberate pivot. For a university eager to lower the temperature after weeks of public sparring, his no-nonsense profile is a welcome feature. Importantly, there is no indication of bad blood between the two coaches; back at 2023 SEC Media Days, Kiffin praised Golding as “ahead of the game,” highly intelligent and a “really great recruiter.”