Speaking at SEC Media Days, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding addressed his relationship with LSU coach Lane Kiffin. While Kiffin’s Ole Miss departure sparked criticism, Golding insisted there is no lingering bitterness between the two coaches.
“Lane and I are good. I didn’t know him before taking the job. I have no ill will toward Coach Kiffin. He texts me on a regular basis & there’s certain things we’ll talk about, certain things we don’t talk about,” Golding said.
Golding revealed that despite coaching rival SEC programs, he and Kiffin still stay in touch.
“My issue with Lane was what he did to the other people around him, the position they were put in and then the perception of what it was,” he said. “I just told him, ‘I’m not going to sit here and tell you I can respect that because I don’t. I can understand the competitive part, but not the rest of it with the players and other people in this building.’”
Kiffin’s departure resulted in 21 Ole Miss players and multiple assistant coaches departing.
Despite the coaching change, the two remain connected, though Golding acknowledged that friendship and football are different matters.
“There’s a Lane side to us where we’re buddies and friends, then a professional side that I have to get on his ass sometimes.”
Their relationship will be tested on the field this fall when Ole Miss faces LSU in one of the SEC’s most anticipated matchups.
Pete Golding Opens Up on Tampering Allegations
Golding was also asked about Ole Miss being under NCAA investigation over alleged tampering involving linebacker Luke Ferrelli, who transferred after initially committing to Clemson.
Rather than addressing the investigation directly, Golding deferred to the university’s compliance department.
“I don’t get into feelings, to be honest with you,” Golding said. “We’ve got a compliance department, they get paid to do their job. They do a really good job. So, it’s our responsibility to recruit really good players, coach them extremely hard, get them ready to win football games. We’re going to continue to recruit really good players — that’s both in the high school market and in the portal market. We’ll continue to do it how we’ve done it.”
Golding stressed that his responsibility is centered on building the roster and coaching players, regardless of whether recruits come from the high school ranks or the transfer portal.
While avoiding specifics, he questioned the lack of consistency surrounding tampering enforcement across college football. He believes the sport needs clearer rules and more consistent application as programs continue to rely heavily on the transfer portal.
For now, Golding’s focus remains on preparing Ole Miss for the 2026 season.
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