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The closely watched drama of the college football world finally reached its conclusion. Lane Kiffin, head coach at Ole Miss for the past six years, boarded a plane to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, this past Sunday.
Kiffin was formally introduced as LSU’s next head coach on Monday. Ole Miss quickly responded to Kiffin’s exit by elevating Pete Golding from his defensive coordinator position to the position of head coach.
While Kiffin’s exit sparked significant backlash, former ESPN host and current sports commentator and podcaster Bomani Jones turned his focus to the coach’s handpicked successor.
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Pete Golding looks on prior to the college football game between the Ole Miss Rebels and the Georgia Bulldogs on October 18, 2025 at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia. (Jeffrey Vest/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Jones lambasted Golding’s performance during his tenure as Ole Miss’ defensive coordinator. He also floated a theory about Golding’s appearance.
COACH WHO LEFT OLE MISS TO JOIN LANE KIFFIN AT LSU FINISHES SEASON WITH REBELS
“I had known him by name. I saw a picture of him and thought, ‘There’s no way that man is a head coach…'” Jones said.
Bomani Jones on stage during the “Colin In Black And White”, Netflix and Dreamville Presents Path To Power Summit at Clark Atlanta University on November 4, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Paras Griffin/Getty Images for Netflix)
Golding has coached for nearly two decades, but this will be his first opportunity to lead a football program competing in a Power Four conference.
Kiffin coached the Rebels to victory over Mississippi State in Egg Bowl rivalry game last Friday to secure an 11-1 record for Ole Miss. While Ole Miss did not qualify for this week’s SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, the seventh-ranked Rebels are in position to likely advance to the College Football Playoff.
Whichever game Ole Miss ends up playing later this month will be Golding’s first opportunity as the Rebels’ head coach. After reportedly meeting with Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter and school chancellor Glenn Boyce, Kiffin learned his time coaching the Rebels was over.
LSU head football coach Lane Kiffin speaks in the South Stadium Club at Tiger Stadium on December 1, 2025 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
“I hoped to complete a historic six-season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and commitment to finishing strong, and investing everything in a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in all areas of concern,” Kiffin said in a statement.
LSU parted ways with Brian Kelly in late October, shortly after the Tigers dropped a home game to Texas A&M.
