Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding spoke at SEC Media Days, addressing his relationship with former head coach Lane Kiffin and the ongoing NCAA tampering allegations involving Clemson. Golding revealed he recently purchased one of Kiffin's former houses in Oxford.
"There's always going to be history, it's the ex, right?" Golding joked about Kiffin. He stated that while he and Kiffin remain friends and communicate regularly, they don't always agree on everything, including Kiffin's move to LSU. Golding emphasized that he did not come to Ole Miss because of Kiffin, but rather to raise his family, and that their relationship grew over their three years together. He expressed appreciation for Kiffin's mentorship and stated he has no ill will.
Despite the initial chaos surrounding Kiffin's departure late in the 2025 season, Golding believes things worked out for the best for everyone involved, including himself. He acknowledged that he advised Kiffin against leaving, as he wanted him to stay at Ole Miss, but ultimately supported Kiffin's decision as being better for him and his family. "I tell a lot of people this. I probably shouldn’t, but I don’t care: In 2021, if you said you can look in 2025 and you're about to be 11-1 and go to the playoff. Would you take it if you're coach was leaving? Hell yea, you would. Everybody won from it, it's ok. Every place is not for everybody," Golding said.
Golding also addressed the controversy surrounding alleged tampering involving Clemson and linebacker Luke Fornelli. Ole Miss officials have reportedly informed the NCAA that they are prepared to report other programs for tampering if penalties are imposed on the university. When questioned about tampering, Golding posed a rhetorical question to reporters: "You're a reporter right? Would you quit your job before interviewing for another job or being offered another job?" He elaborated on his frustration with the current system.
"We have a portal you can go in with a 'Do Not Contact' tag. I'm gonna quit my job, where I'm getting paid and I'm gonna go in saying I need a new job, which nobody can call me to interview. Like, what have we created? So, we've created it along with representation for these players that it's their responsibility to get them paid well. By design, it's put a lot of people in bad positions."
Golding concluded by questioning the morality of college football recruiting over the past century, suggesting that the current situation is not entirely a new phenomenon. "Let's not act like recruiting in college football for the past 100 years is the most moral thing. What are we talking about?" he stated.