Ole Miss looks to Cardinals for new defensive coordinator

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With Mississippi's football team in town for the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl, head coach Pete Golding didn't have to look far to fill a coaching vacancy on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

Ole Miss announced the hiring of former Arizona Cardinals defensive backs coach Patrick Toney, who will replace Golding as the defensive coordinator next season, with Golding promoted to head coach in late November 2025.

Toney spent the past three seasons with the Cardinals and was part of coach Jonathan Gannon's staff since soon after Gannon arrived in early 2023. Gannon was fired as head coach on Jan. 6.

Prior to joining the Cardinals, Toney spent 11 seasons coaching in college at Florida as co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach, Louisiana as defensive coordinator and safeties/outside linebackers coach, and jobs at Texas-San Antonio, Sam Houston State and Southeast Louisiana.

Toney reunites with Golding on the Ole Miss staff. The two coached together at Texas-San Antonio in 2016 and 2017 and in 2012 at Southeastern Louisiana.

Defensive backs coach Bryan Brown is currently serving as Mississippi's defensive coordinator in the College Football Playoff.

José M. Romero can be reached at jose.romero@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @RomeroJoseM or Instagram at @romerojosem.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Ole Miss adds former Arizona Cardinals assistant to coaching staff

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