Pete Golding
Career arc
Bowls and playoffs: 2-1
2025 QFSugar BowlW 39-34
2025 semiFiesta BowlL 27-31As of Fri Oct 23
- Last gameW 31-3 vs. Missouri Sat Oct 17
- This season5-1 won 2 straight
- On track for9-3 regular season
- Nextat Texas Sat Oct 24
- Stature14th of 138 FBS programs
What the result changed
- AP poll #9 → #7 up two
- Playoff odds 32% → 49% CFB Zeitgeist forecast, before and after
Saturday: at Texas
Sat Oct 24, 7:30 pm ET · No. 19 Texas is 4-2 · First meeting between Golding and Steve Sarkisian as head coaches · Ole Miss’s chance to win: 51% (the site’s model)
His week
14 stories this week →
The headlines, Oct 18–23 from 7 outlets
Yahoo SportsPete Golding talks Texas, bad luck and the elite Arch ManningTue Oct 20
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Has a Warning for Ole Miss After Dominant Missouri WinThu Oct 22
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Has Given Ole Miss a New Formula for WinningWed Oct 21
Saturday Down SouthPete Golding says 24-team Playoff is ‘healthy’ for college footballMon Oct 19
Saturday Down SouthPete Golding in company of Barry Switzer with latest ranked winMon Oct 19
The Daily TexanOle Miss heads into Austin for first time in over a decade under Pete GoldingFri Oct 23- WJTVOle Miss coach Pete Golding joins Bear Bryant Award watch listWed Oct 21
SuperTalk Mississippi MediaPete Golding added to Bear Bryant National Coach of the Year Award watch listWed Oct 21
The Clarion-LedgerOle Miss coach Pete Golding's 24-team CFP prediction that could change critics' mindsTue Oct 20
The Clarion-LedgerDid Pete Golding finally fix Ole Miss defense after Rebels shut down Missouri, Jamal Roberts?Sun Oct 18
On the podcasts
Offense: 20th of 138 per play. Defense: 86th.
6 games left
- Sat Oct 24at Texas (4-2)
51%
- Sat Oct 31vs. Auburn (4-2)
79%
- Sat Nov 7vs. Georgia (6-1)45%
- Sat Nov 14at Oklahoma (3-3)73%
- Sat Nov 21vs. Wofford (5-3)SECN+99%
- Fri Nov 27vs. Mississippi State (4-2)
89%
Percent: Ole Miss’s chance to win, from the site’s model. Records are through today. Networks as announced; the rest are set closer to kickoff.
How the season got here
Ole Miss has held at 14th of 138 FBS programs by stature after every game this season.
- Oct 12–18W 31-3 vs. Missouri12 headlines · 30th of 138Pete Golding is Giving Ole Miss a Tougher Identity and Fans Are Noticing
Sports Illustrated - Oct 5–11W 52-17 at Vanderbilt15 headlines · 30th of 138How Pete Golding fixed Ole Miss defense vs Vanderbilt without changing anything
The Clarion-Ledger - Sep 28–Oct 4No game4 headlines · 68th of 138Pete Golding Hints Ole Miss Could Make Personnel Changes During Bye Week
Yahoo Sports - Sep 21–27 · rebuiltL 28-52 at Florida21 headlines · 20th of 138Pete Golding questions Ole Miss defense's manhood after Florida runs over Rebels
Yahoo Sports - Sep 14–20 · rebuiltW 32-24 vs. LSU26 headlines · 14th of 138Lane Kiffin, Pete Golding and more react after Ole Miss defeats LSU in Kiffin’s RETURN to Oxford
FOX Sports - Sep 7–13 · rebuiltW 41-9 vs. Charlotte25 headlines · 19th of 138Pete Golding Makes His Expectations Clear for Ole Miss vs. Charlotte
Yahoo Sports
Each week as this page showed it at the time. Weeks marked rebuilt came before this page existed: they were built afterward from only what was known by the end of that week.
Watch the biggest plays from Ole Miss’s games, ranked by how much each moved the chance to win.

14 stories about him this week
Sat Oct 24: Texas
33rd of 100 FBS head coaches · from 9 outlets and r/CFB
Ole Miss heads into Austin for first time in over a decade under Pete Golding
The Daily Texan Oct 23 · 1 outlet
Game talk is up: 12 stories in the last two weeks, from 4 the two weeks before.
What they’re talking about
Game preview4 storiesrising
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Faces a Fascinating Decision Against Arch Manning and TexasOct 19
The Clarion-LedgerOle Miss coach Pete Golding's 24-team CFP prediction that could change critics' minds - The Clarion-LedgerOct 20
RoundtableSark vs. Golding: Can Texas Outsmart Ole Miss And Save Its Season?Oct 22
The Daily TexanOle Miss heads into Austin for first time in over a decade under Pete GoldingOct 23
Press conference and quotes4 stories
SuperTalk Mississippi Media +2Ole Miss coach Pete Golding joins Bear Bryant Award watch listOct 21All 3 articles
Red Cup Rebellion +1Pete Golding talks Texas, bad luck and the elite Arch ManningOct 20All 2 articles
Saturday Down SouthPete Golding says 24-team Playoff is ‘healthy’ for college footballOct 19
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Explains What Makes Steve Sarkisian's Texas Offense DangerousOct 21
Win2 storiesrising
Saturday Down SouthPete Golding in company of Barry Switzer with latest ranked winOct 19
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Has a Warning for Ole Miss After Dominant Missouri WinOct 22
223 stories about him this season
from 51 outlets and r/CFB
Pete Golding's Biggest Challenge at Ole Miss is About to Become Clear
Sports Illustrated +1 Oct 16 · 2 outlets
All 2 articles
What they’re talking about
Press conference and quotes65 stories
FOX 8 WVUE +10Ole Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserSep 27All 11 articles
FOX Carolina NewsOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presser - foxcarolina.comKOLDOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserWDBJ7Ole Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserFOX10 NewsOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presser - fox10tv.comWCTVOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserWTVGOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserFOX19Ole Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presser - FOX19 | CincinnatiWTVAOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserLive 5 NewsOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presserHawaii News NowOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presser - hawaiinewsnow.comFOX 8 WVUEOle Miss head football coach Pete Golding - Florida postgame presser - fox8live.com- Bozeman Daily Chronicle +5Kewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding saysOct 5
All 6 articles
LancasterOnlineKewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding saysNewsdayKewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding saysBozeman Daily ChronicleKewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding saysOskaloosa HeraldKewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding says - oskaloosa.comFOX SportsKewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding saysThe MessengerKewan Lacy expected to return for No. 9 Mississippi vs. Vanderbilt, coach Pete Golding says - www.the-messenger.com
SuperTalk Mississippi Media +2Ole Miss coach Pete Golding joins Bear Bryant Award watch listOct 21All 3 articles
Sports Illustrated +1Pete Golding Explains What Stood Out Most During Ole Miss' First Week of Fall CampAug 11All 2 articles
Sports Illustrated +1Pete Golding Will Continue to Rotate Secondary, Reveals Sharif Denson's Status vs LSUSep 13All 2 articles
Game preview27 storiesrising
Sports Illustrated +1Why Louisville Is the Perfect Week 1 Test for Pete GoldingAug 5All 2 articles
Sports IllustratedWhy Louisville Is the Perfect Week 1 Test for Pete GoldingYahoo SportsWhy Louisville Is the Perfect Week 1 Test for Pete Golding
LancasterOnline +1Mississippi coach Pete Golding aims to eradicate erratic play in Week 2 against CharlotteSep 10
Sports Illustrated +1Pete Golding Makes His Expectations Clear for Ole Miss vs. CharlotteSep 11All 2 articles
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Exploring Options For Class of ‘22 Ruling to Prepare for Specific ScenarioAug 6
WTVAPete Golding to navigate first season opener as head coachAug 24
Win15 storiesrising
Locked OnMississippi State Will shock Ole Miss in the Egg Bowl | Jeff Lebby owns Pete GoldingAug 9
On3How Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding won over an SEC skepticAug 10
On3Pete Golding won’t copy Nick Saban’s blueprint at Ole MissAug 27- Locked On College FootballOle Miss survives Louisville Upset Scare as Pete Golding Beats Jeff Brohm's CardinalsSep 7
On3Pete Golding far from satisfied after Ole Miss survives Louisville: ‘A lot of mistakes’Sep 7
Injuries13 stories
Sports Illustrated +1Pete Golding Identifies Major Ole Miss Problem After Louisville WinSep 10All 2 articles
The Clarion-Ledger +1Pete Golding gives Kewan Lacy injury update for Ole Miss vs VanderbiltOct 5All 2 articles
On3Kewan Lacy injury update: Ole Miss HC Pete Golding says ‘nothing serious’Sep 6
The Clarion-LedgerOle Miss' Pete Golding gives Kewan Lacy, Kam Franklin injury updates after Louisville win - The Clarion-LedgerSep 7
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Announces Kewan Lacy Injury Update for Ole MissSep 11
Loss9 storiesfading
Sports IllustratedStorylines to Follow Through Ole Miss’ First Fall Camp Under Pete GoldingAug 2
Sports IllustratedPete Golding Opens Fall Camp With a Playoff Roster and Little Grace PeriodAug 5- The Rebel WalkPete Golding Opens Ole Miss Fall Camp Focused on Readiness, Not the CalendarAug 7
WLBTOle Miss fall camp opens under first-year permanent head coach Pete GoldingAug 7
On3Pete Golding wants Ole Miss to experience as much adversity as possible in Fall campAug 8
Profile and feature6 stories
Sports Illustrated +1Why Jehiem Oatis Followed Pete Golding to Ole MissAug 27All 2 articles
Sports IllustratedWhy Jehiem Oatis Followed Pete Golding to Ole MissYahoo SportsWhy Jehiem Oatis Followed Pete Golding to Ole Miss
Sports IllustratedPaul Finebaum Questions Whether Pete Golding Can Meet Ole Miss' ExpectationsAug 9
Sports IllustratedWhy Ole Miss, Pete Golding are Approaching Louisville ‘Like an SEC Team’Aug 31
The ReveilleInside the bizarre, banter-filled dynamic between Lane Kiffin and Pete GoldingSep 15
The Clarion-LedgerPete Golding is known for defense, so why is Ole Miss' so bad? It's about LOV - The Clarion-LedgerSep 30
Could another school hire him? What has he said?
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Oct 23.
What others say about him
Every quote, back to April 2026
What others say (7)
It’s a lot of fun for (Golding). It’s a lot more fun how you (get to) play on third and 10, than third and 2
I actually said last week that I think LSU wins the national championship by 50 points. What could little ole Pete Golding and Ole Miss do against a team that I’ve been talking about like that
This matchup was already a tremendous opportunity for our program, kicking off Coach Golding’s first full season at the helm against a high-caliber opponent like Louisville, set in a premier destination like Nashville. Now with the added spotlight of a Sunday primetime national broadcast, the stage is even bigger
The personalities are a little different than our old coach and Coach Golding. I’d say he’s more of like a team guy
Having PG (Pete Golding) as a coach, you just know what you’re going to get
Coach Golding is calling the plays, but all of the things that I do (are) what he was doing
I think (Golding) totally understands now, like we all do now, that the expectation is that we want to get in the playoffs and we want to make deep runs
In his own words (86)
Some people have shown him different looks, taken away some first reads and been able to apply some pressure
A lot of (defensive issues have) been from a technical standpoint of pressing the football and angles of staying inside out
I thought we stopped the run on first down and second and long, and then we got a penalty on the other one on third and long. We got into some advantageous situations where we had pressure
(Frazier) had a really good week of practice last week
(Lindsey’s) still in the mix. He’s still there. (Mills-Knight) came in … (and) gave a spark
Sometimes, when you don’t have (Lacy), and you try to fit (the opponent) into what you want to do, that’s not always perfect and that’s hard to do
Obviously, getting Kewan (Lacy) back really healthy, that’s going to change box counts as well
There wasn’t one new call that we put in for this game that wasn’t already part of the system. … The execution was a little better and we played harder
I think the opportunity presented itself
There wasn’t one new call that we put in for this game that wasn’t already a part of the system, and so that’s what I tell you guys all the time
That’s going to be a constant rotation based on how (Lacy) is and how healthy he is
(We) have to work on both of them all week
(The Ole Miss players) came back and responded the right way. Accountability and ownership come from everyone right?
That was an old-fashioned butt whooping right there, man. (I) thought in all three phases, especially in the first half, (we) just couldn’t really get anything going offensively
It (was) as bad of a first half as you can potentially have
You can’t take (Florida) lightly. … I know it’s a tough place to play
(Ray told me,) ‘Coach, I would love to stay (with Ole Miss), but I hate corner,’
The goals and expectations that (Chancellor) Glenn (Boyce) and (Vice Chancellor for Intercollegiate Athletics) Keith (Carter) have set for this place isn’t about winning one football game in September
I don’t think anybody came here to beat LSU. That’s not what our goal was. Coming in, working so hard in the offseason (and) summer, (our goal) wasn’t to win one football game
Am I super proud of (the players)? Absolutely, but that’s three years since we’ve (Golding) been here that we’ve come home with that trophy. That’s an expectation here as it should be
Is it sweet? Absolutely
It wasn’t going to be a super fun night for (the defensive line) because we were trying to make (Leavitt) a pocket passer
(The fans) created an unbelievable atmosphere, which is the norm here
I think for the most part they did a really good job
I don’t think they stuck around for me. I think they stuck around for this (community), the fans and the alumni
We’re going to continue trying to find five guys in the back end who do s–t right, because right now, we don’t have five
(We are focusing on) eliminating the explosive plays. We had 12 explosive plays (allowed) last week for 340 yards
I remember watching him back at Arizona State. (I noticed) his athletic ability there
Winnie’s a huge part of their offense. He very rarely comes off the field. (They) use him in multiple different ways
Obviously the former players and all the former coaches and the relationships that you’ve had (are important)
This will be unique. Their head ball coach recruited a lot of these guys and all that is on the opposing side
We’ve got a mature enough group to understand that it’s going to be a hard football game. (LSU has) a really good football team
(The team will) be locked in. I think they’ll be focused
It’s like high school homecoming. If you focus on the wrong s–t, that homecoming dance ain’t very fun after you get your butt beat on a Friday night
It’s been a really good game every year that I’ve been here
I think it goes both (ways). Obviously, there’s a lot that you know about them on both sides. (They know) about us. We know about them
I thought Maldonado played a better game. He’s constantly getting better with every rep and every practice. He really flashed
Ferrelli played a better game. I think he’s getting better with every practice and every week as well
It’s still early in the season, and you have to create some continuity in the group
It’s too many highs and lows. There’s flashes of an elite football team, and there’s flashes of a bad football team. We’ve got to get those off the tape, and that’s our job as coaches
Football’s gonna end
We really did the mock game week not as much for the players, to be honest, but from a staff standpoint, to make sure we get the schedule down, build the right routine and make sure we’re hitting everything
We’ll have everybody that we intended to have when we started camp; everybody’s available. Everybody’s in a pretty good spot
I thought the execution was better. I’ve really been on them about the consistency of the execution
There were some explosives in that scrimmage because of lack of communication and all those things, and if you do that this coming Sunday, you’re not going to win the football game
We didn’t start very fast on offense, but I thought they got it going midway through the second quarter
This is real now. This is for keeps, so we got this week to make sure we prepare really hard to clean it up
I think Brohm does an unbelievable job calling and packaging plays. He’s had a lot of success (with that)
A lot of these guys that didn’t play last fall are really, really good dudes, and our guys enjoy being around them because they’re like-minded
(It) feels awesome. July was kind of that for me when we first spoke to get back into the ball piece of it, and then it was good to get through camp
This is kind of a hybrid week for us
To me, (practice has) been really flashy
The drive is either extended based on a nonaggressive penalty or a bust, or the drive was stopped based on a nonaggressive penalty or a bust
From that standpoint, how can we rotate a couple of guys for worst-case scenarios, and then what does one do better than the other from a package standpoint?
I think, obviously, everybody after camp … is kind of banged up within reason, and I think that’s one thing in camp that we try to really focus on: the difference between being hurt and injured
(He’s) continuing to develop his body in the weight room
Is there a player you HAVEN'T been asked about that we should be asking about?
It’s not Louisville that the first time adversity hits or where there’s a situation that occurs that we’re not prepared for
When you’re talking about five (offensive) linemen, it’s kind of like a puzzle. Sometimes I could take this piece and move it over here, but is that a perfect fit over here?
Knowing you have other things with the (Patrick) Kutas’ of the world, some of those other guys that have played a lot of football that you could move and bump out that would create other opportunities for other guys
(Renaud) has gotten a lot better in the weight room
We do have a couple guys banged up, whether it be hamstrings or some shoulders, primarily at the wide receiver position more than anything right now
This is my ninth year in this league, and I’ve been fortunate to be learning (from) a lot of really good guys that do it the right way and that I have a lot of respect for
Just Google ‘Lane Kiffin,’
(Lane) helped me on this one a little bit … because he had another offer that he actually worked out to where I could get it, and the other person couldn’t
What have we created? … Let’s not act like recruiting in college football for the last 100 years is the most moral thing. What are we talking about here?
You don’t think other ADs are calling us during the year?
It was a unique decision for us to leave Tuscaloosa (Ala.) to go to Oxford. (It was) not strictly a family decision, … but the people there have embraced us
We still know there’s a lot of work to be done. We know every season is independent of their own
We definitely would not be where we’re at as a university right now, as an athletic program at Ole Miss, without Glenn (Boyce) and Keith (Carter) working side-by-side. They embody everything Ole Miss is about
A little different structure than they’re used to, but I am just really, really big on the why
I was really … glad that I was able to retain … good staff on both sides of the ball — really, on all three phases
Football’s gonna end. What are you going to use? You gotta use an alumni base to be able to get you a job. Where are you gonna bring your kids to? What jersey are they wearing?
Lane and I are good. Everybody won from it
We got a compliance department. They get paid to do their job. They do a really good job
Let me put it to you this way: You’re a reporter. Would you quit your job before interviewing for another job or being offered another job? No. Nobody would
The model obviously has been broken. I’m all for everybody being on the same playing field and doing the same things
We go by the rules of the program and the flow. Like when you’re on the interstate and people are flying by you, what do you start doing? (Drive faster) or you’re going to get hit
That’s not why I came here
I think that was the biggest thing, that the old spring portal allowed you to do, if there was injuries or you took a guy that wasn’t who you thought he was, then you had the opportunity
Obviously the Egg Bowl was that Friday
It got real at about 12:20 that day
He’s just like, ‘Look, you got that job for a lot of reasons, but the primary reason is you’ve always done a really good job with the defense, and if you’re able to do that, you need to continue to do that,'
Obviously, there’s two sides to every story, right?
The bottom line with the recruitment of Luke, he came here on an official visit prior to the Fiesta Bowl
I told him, ‘I want you to be our green-dot mike, but right now we’ve got a green-dot Mike (linebacker),'
Hires into jobs like this
Hired into 50–51, Power Program II. Rough match, not calibrated yet — ranked on what the job inherited alone. Coaches hired into this same job aren’t used as comps.
- Lane Kiffin20205–5+1.3
- Matt Luke20176–6-1.1
- Hugh Freeze20127–6+0.2
- Houston Nutt20089–4+6.4
- Ed Orgeron20053–8-4.4
- Tommy Tuberville19956–5-1.1
- Joe Lee Dunn19944–7+0.4
- Billy Brewer19836–6-0.7
Hot seat
See every job →This season
Our hot-seat model, on his record so far, the win chances for every game he has left, and his contract (a bigger buyout, relative to pay, makes a change costlier). Ranked against the 137 FBS head coaches with 3+ games this season.
His first rated season here.
His hot seat, week by week
The chance he’s out by the end of that season, as it stood after every week of his tenure here, by today’s model.
He took over during the 2025 season (3 games); that year is unrated, since each season counts against whoever started it.
What drives his number
The biggest factors, each against the typical FBS job today.
- ▼ CoolerYear 1 · tenure, which this model overrates
(why?)
Tenure is one of this model’s strongest inputs, but its weight was set when retirements like Nick Saban’s and Bob Stoops’ still counted as being pushed out, so it overstates how much tenure matters.
- ▼ Cooler5-1, outscoring opponents by 82 · AP-ranked
- ▼ Cooler2-1 over his previous season here
What happened to coaches like him, 2004–2025
A different comparison: past coaches, not today’s, grouped by one fact at a time. Neither line knows the games he has left or his contract, so they can sit above or below his chance.
- Were 5-1 after 6 games
- 2% pushed out over results · of 430 coaches
- Were in year 1, after 6 games
- 1% pushed out over results · of 525 coaches
How good is this number? Checked on every FBS coach from 2010 to 2025, with its percentages calibrated each season on earlier years only: they track what happened — coaches it put near 25% were out about a quarter of the time — and a version pricing the games left with the previous season’s ratings ranked jobs as well as the ranking this page used before. Each week it learns from coaches who were still on the job at that point, so a firing during the season counts. In the Boiling zone it has run a few points high. Every job, and the method.
Poach watch
This winter
Our poach model, on his record so far, the win chances for every game he has left, his program, his pay and his background. Ranked against the 137 FBS head coaches this season. The zone words describe the market’s interest; none of them says he is leaving.
What drives his number
The biggest factors in his profile, each against the typical FBS head coach today. The games he has left are priced into the number, not listed here.
- ▼ LowerHis first season at Ole Miss
- ▲ HigherAge 42 · neither at his alma mater nor in the state he was born in
- ▼ LowerHis team is 5-1, outscoring opponents by 13.7 points a game · AP-ranked
How good is this number? It ranks a head coach who leaves for another head-coaching job ahead of one who stays 78 to 82% of the time, and its average came within a point of the share who actually left. What it can’t do
Tested on every FBS head coach from 2012 through 2025, each season scored by a model fit only on the seasons before it. From three games on, given one coach who left for a head-coaching job elsewhere or an NFL coordinator job and one who stayed, it ranked the one who left ahead 79 to 82% of the time; in a season’s first two games, 78%. Its average chance came within a point of the share who actually left. It counts a move a coach makes while he still holds the job; when his school ends it, that doesn’t count, even if another school then hires him.
- The live number prices the games he has left with the power model’s ratings from this season. The test priced them with each team’s rating from the season before, because ratings made during past seasons were not kept, so this live version could not be replayed.
- Programs new to FBS have no FBS record before this season in the data it reads, so their coaches are scored without one.
- It is frozen: it learns nothing from 2026 until a deliberate refit.
- A coach hired in December needs his background (age, alma mater, the state he was born in) added before his first game, or he shows as not rated.
Coaching career
Followed Lane Kiffin (2020–2025).
| Season | 2025 | 2026 | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record & result | |||
| Record | 2-1 | 5-1 | |
| Postseason | CFP loss | — | |
| Coordinators | |||
| OC | Charlie Weis Jr. / Joe Cox | John David Baker / Cody Woodiel | |
| DC | Bryan Brown / Pete Golding | Bryan Brown / Marcus Woodson | |
| Outcome — opponent-adjusted efficiency percentile | |||
| Offense | 97 | 88 | |
| Defense | 65 | 43 | |
| Tendencies — play-by-play, neutral script | |||
| 1st-down pass% | 45.1 | 58.1 | |
| Red-zone pass% | 28.3 | 40.0 | |
| 4th-down go%opp. territory | 41.9 | 30.8 | |
Outperforms his recruiting talent on offense and performs about as expected for his recruiting talent on defense.
Brings in bigger-than-position-typical players than most.
Recruits younger transfers than most — more of a development bet.
1 player-season honored (All-America / national award): Kewan Lacy (2025)
AI Narratives — “Ole Miss's Offseason Portal Moves Create Starter Risks” and 13 more on the team page.
Big games
The big-game ledger
How he does in the games that matter most — rivalry record, performance broken out by real opponent tier, one-score games, and his toughest historical matchup.
1-0 against his rivals.
ATS is his record against the spread: did his team beat the closing betting line, winning by more than it or losing by less? Lines start in 2013; a dash means fewer than 6 of those games had one. One-score games carry no spread record: a big favorite that wins a close game has almost always failed to cover, so that number would say nothing about the coach.
Signature games





Tags describe each game; they aren’t scores. The weighting that picks these games is still being tested.
How he plays
Run/pass mix, by field position
Passed more than the situation called for under Jr..
199 run and pass snaps at Ole Miss, 2025–2025, his own games, one row per offensive coordinator. Each cell is how much more often he passed than the rest of FBS did in the same situation (field zone, down, distance, score, quarter, same season), in percentage points.
Pass rate, stint by stint
Where each stint’s offense sat between run-first and pass-first, and how far it moved from one season to the next, against the FBS-wide average of 41% pass. The band is that stint’s real season-to-season range, not a fixed-width box.
How good is he so far?
Three numbers on how he actually stocks a roster, from signing day to draft day.
His recruiting, really
No class below is fully his yet — every one was inherited or signed mid-transition, so none counts toward a verdict.
Transition — he was hired mid-cycle
Rank is each signing class’s national recruiting rank (#1 is best). Only a class he had a full signing cycle to build counts as his; inherited and mid-transition classes still show here, faded, but stay out of the average.
Roster ownership
Roster ownership
of his 2026 roster arrived on his watch — 58 of 123 players. The other 65 are holdovers from before he was hired.
Of his own players on this roster, 41% came through the transfer portal; the rest are non-portal arrivals (high-school signees, JUCO transfers, walk-ons).
Everyone he has brought in, 2025–2026Counting players who have since left: 41% of the 58 arrivals we can classify came through the portal.
“His own” means the player arrived while he was head coach; “inherited” means a predecessor brought him in.
Where he recruits
is his biggest recruiting state: 16 of 45 signees (36%) across his 2025–2026 tenure, drawn from 9 states in all. Next: FL (8).
62% of his signees come from MS and its 4 border states (LA 7, AL 3, TN 2).
Off this map: 3 signees to the north (IL, LA, others) and 1 to the west (TX).
- median hometown distance
- 298 mi
- within 100 mi
- 16%
- within 500 mi
- 71%
- beyond 1,000 mi
- 9%
The map counts signed recruits across his tenure; the distance figures cover his current roster, transfers and walk-ons included. Two different groups, kept separate on purpose.
Pete Golding
Defensive coordinator across 3 programs, 5 stints, before and after wearing the head-coach hat — every season measured on the same axis, whether he personally ran the unit or someone else did.







