Ole Miss HC Pete Golding Earns New Nickname Amid College Football Playoff
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When Ole Miss Rebels head coach Lane Kiffin left Oxford at the end of the regular season for the LSU Tigers job, the program wasted no time in naming a replacement.
Ole Miss named defensive coordinator Pete Golding as the new head coach right away, and so far, it looks like a move that has paid off.
The No. 6 seed Ole Miss Rebels defeated the No. 11 Tulane Green Wave, 41-10, in the College Football Playoff first round.
Then, Ole Miss stunned the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, 39-34, in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day in Atlanta.
Suddenly, Golding is 2-0 as a head coach with both wins coming in the College Football Playoff, and now the Rebels are in the semifinals.
Ole Miss fought in a thrilling game, and afterwards, the College Football Playoff account posted on X with a new nickname for the Rebels coach.
“PLAYOFF PETE.”
PLAYOFF PETE #CFBPlayoff x #HottyToddypic.twitter.com/s0hMJ2D4zY
— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) January 2, 2026
Golding came to Ole Miss in 2023, and before that, he was an assistant at Alabama under Nick Saban.
He also spent time as an assistant coach at UTSA, Southern Miss and others, but now he is getting his shot on the big stage.
It’s quite the start for Golding, and Ole Miss now moves on to face Carson Beck and the No. 10 Miami Hurricanes on Jan. 8 in the Fiesta Bowl.
Related: Lane Kiffin Makes a Post After Ole Miss Stuns Georgia in Sugar Bowl
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Jan 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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