Ole Miss coach Pete Golding's options if he does or doesn't hire new defensive coordinator
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OXFORD — Coach Pete Golding has a new vacancy on the Ole Miss football coaching staff.
The Atlanta Falcons announced Feb. 27 they hired Patrick Toney as their passing game coordinator. The move came shortly after he was hired at Ole Miss to be the Rebels’ defensive coordinator.
Toney was hired on Jan. 7, one day before the Fiesta Bowl loss against Miami. He was in the position for seven weeks.
The timing of the move makes things extra complicated. The majority of coaching movement at Ole Miss and nationally happened in December and January.
Can’t Pete Golding be Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator too?
Ole Miss needed a defensive coordinator because Golding was promoted to head coach when Lane Kiffin left for LSU on Nov. 30.
Golding has coached on the defensive side his entire career, most recently as Alabama’s defensive coordinator under Nick Saban (2018-22) and at Ole Miss (2023-25).
Golding was the defensive coordinator and called defensive plays for the Rebels throughout the College Football Playoff.
That arrangement is expected to continue regardless of whether there is a defensive coordinator. On3’s Chris Low reported Feb. 27 that Golding will still call plays.
Golding doesn’t have to hire a defensive coordinator. He could continue to run the defense in addition to being the head coach.
But hiring a defensive coordinator would give Golding another option in the booth while he is on the field.
“I’ve called plays in the box, I’ve called plays on the floor,” Golding said Dec. 7. “All five years at Alabama I called it on the grass. My first year here I called it on the grass. To me, once you went to helmet communication and the tablets where they get to see video on the sideline, there’s benefits to both. There’s benefits to seeing them in their eyes and seeing where they are at. There’s benefits to being upstairs. Sometimes you feel like you’re a play ahead.”
Could Pete Golding promote Bryan Brown or Mike Stoops to DC?
Golding has already needed to find an acting defensive coordinator in a pinch once. He chose Bryan Brown.
Brown was the defensive assistant coach who spoke to reporters throughout the 2025 College Football Playoff run. His title is “Head coach of the defense.”
Brown graduated from Ole Miss in 2006 and has been with his alma mater since 2023 after being the defensive coordinator at Cincinnati.
Golding also hired Mike Stoops on Feb. 19. Stoops has significant experience coaching defense.
Stoops was most recently the inside linebackers coach at Kentucky from 2022-25, and he has head coaching experience at Arizona (2004-11) and defensive coordinator experience at Oklahoma (2012-18).
Who is Patrick Toney?
Toney was the defensive backs coach for the Arizona Cardinals from 2023-25.
Toney was the Louisiana defensive coordinator from 2020-21 and the co-defensive coordinator at Florida in 2022.
He also coached with Golding at Southern Louisiana from 2012-13. Golding was the defensive coordinator, while Toney was a defensive assistant.
When does Ole Miss spring football start?
No dates have been announced for Ole Miss’ spring football schedule. It is expected to begin sometime in late March.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Will Pete Golding hire new Ole Miss football DC or do job himself?
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