Who is Ole Miss' new head coach? Meet Pete Golding, tasked to lead Rebels in CFP without Lane Kiffin

Who is Ole Miss' new head coach? Meet Pete Golding, tasked to lead Rebels in CFP without Lane Kiffin originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The business of college football is constantly moving, and timing doesn't always line up the way you want it to.

If Ole Miss had its way, it wouldn't have had to deal with any questions about Lane Kiffin's future until after the season. Instead, Kiffin signaled his intention to become the next head coach at LSU well before the Rebels start their College Football Playoff run, leaving the program in a bind.

Rather than allow Kiffin to continue coaching the team, Ole Miss is moving on and moving forward with not just an interim head coach — but a new permanent one.

Here's what you need to know about Ole Miss' new head coach for the College Football Playoff and beyond.

MORE:Tracking the latest Ole Miss coaching search rumors

Who is Ole Miss' new head coach?

Ole Miss is expected to move forward with defensive coordinator Pete Golding as its "permanent" head coach, according to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz.

The Rebels were reportedly intent on not letting Kiffin coach out the rest of the season, with On3 reporting Kiffin then gave an ultimatum to his offensive staff to immediately follow him to LSU or not be included on his new staff.

Golding, the leader of the defense, is set to stick around in Oxford for the rest of this year and beyond. Here's more to know about Golding as he takes the reins at Ole Miss.

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Who is Pete Golding?

Golding has spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator for Ole Miss after five seasons as Alabama's defensive coordinator under Nick Saban, a stretch that included a national championship in 2020.

The 41-year-old has never been a head coach. He began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at his alma mater, Division II Delta State, and rose to the FBS level in 2014 as the defensive backs coach at Southern Miss.

Golding voluntarily left Alabama to take the defensive coordinator job under Kiffin in 2023, and his first opportunity to lead a team at any level will come in the College Football Playoff, making for quite a story.

Golding could be a candidate for the full-time job, Yahoo Sports' Ross Dellenger reports..

Pete Golding coaching history

• 2006: Delta State (graduate assistant)

• 2007-09: Tusculum (defensive coordinator)

• 2010-11: Delta State (defensive coordinator)

• 2012-13: Southeastern Louisiana (defensive coordinator)

• 2014-15: Southern Miss (DBs coach)

• 2016-17: UTSA (defensive coordinator)

• 2018-22: Alabama (defensive coordinator)

• 2023-pres: Ole Miss (defensive coordinator)

Golding jumped to the FBS level in 2014 and rocketed to the SEC by 2018, spending five seasons as Saban's defensive coordinator at Alabama before getting a fresh start at Ole Miss under Kiffin.

Is Pete Golding going to LSU with Lane Kiffin?

With Golding taking over as Kiffin's replacement, it is obvious that he is not going to follow Kiffin to LSU, according to CBS Sports.

Golding not only will give the Rebels a chance to be led into the playoff by a coach who doesn't have one foot out the door, but he is also set to be Ole Miss' next full-time head coach for the foreseeable future.

Golding was actually born in Louisiana in a town about 45 miles away from Baton Rouge, so LSU would be a local job for him if he reversed course at any point.