Ex-ESPN host rips Ole Miss’ promotion of Pete Golding after Lane Kiffin’s exit
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The closely followed drama of the college football world is finally over. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss’ head coach for the past six years, boarded a plane to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, on Sunday.
Kiffin was officially introduced as LSU’s next head coach on Monday. Ole Miss quickly responded to Kiffin’s departure by promoting Pete Golding from defensive coordinator to head coach.
While Kiffin’s departure sparked significant backlash, former ESPN host, current sports commentator and podcaster Bomani Jones has turned his attention to the coach’s hand-picked successor.
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Pete Golding before the game between the Ole Miss Rebels and Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on October 18, 2025 in Athens, GA. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jones was critical of Golding’s performance during his tenure as Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator. He also put forward a theory regarding Golding’s appearance.
COACH, WHO LEFT OLE MISS TO JOIN LANE KIFFIN AT LSU, WILL FINISH THE SEASON WITH THE REBELS
“I knew him by name. I saw a photo of him and I said, ‘There’s no way this guy is a coach,'” Jones said.
Bomani Jones November 4, 2021 in Atlanta. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix)
Golding has been coaching for nearly two decades, but this will be his first opportunity to lead a football program that competes in the Power Four conference.
Kiffin coached the Rebels to a victory over Mississippi State. Egg Bowl rivalry game Friday will mark an 11-1 record for Ole Miss. Although Ole Miss does not qualify for this week’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, the seventh-seeded Rebels are in position to advance to the College Football Playoff.
Ole Miss’ game later this month will be Golding’s first opportunity as the Rebels’ head coach. After meeting with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and school president Glenn Boyce, Kiffin learned his time coaching the Rebels was over.
LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin speaks at the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium on December 1, 2025 in Baton Rouge, La. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
“I was hoping to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by taking Ole Miss to the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and determination to finish strong and banking everything on a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern,” Kiffin said in a statement. he said.
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LSU parted ways with Brian Kelly in late October, shortly after the Tigers lost their home game against Texas A&M.
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