OXFORD, MS – Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter’s account of coach Lane Kiffin’s departure for LSU is different from how Kiffin described it.
Carter spoke publicly for the first time Dec. 3 since Kiffin left for LSU. Carter did a wide-ranging radio interview with Richard Cross on SuperTalk Mississippi.
Kiffin left on Nov. 30. He said in a statement he found out he would not be allowed to coach Ole Miss (11-1) in the College Football Playoff that day.
‘There’s been a lot of things he’s said publicly that I’m not sure have been totally accurate,’ Carter said. ‘I think that both coach and his representation knew several weeks ago that coaching in the playoffs was not an option if he was not going to be the Ole Miss head coach.’
Carter confirmed Kiffin was part of a meeting with team leaders on the Ole Miss football roster on Nov. 30. Kiffin said players wanted him to stay at Ole Miss.
Like center Brycen Sanders and linebacker Suntarine Perkins, who posted to the contrary on social media, Carter disputed Kiffin’s account.
‘I’ll let them kind of tweet out what they want to tweet out and give information that they want to give, but I don’t think the way that he portrayed that meeting was accurate,’ Carter said. ‘There was a lot of pushback to him leaving … I think begging for him to stay is certainly an overstatement.’
Why Pete Golding was promoted to Ole Miss football coach
Carter said he and Ole Miss Chancellor Glenn Boyce decided together a coaching search was not necessary.
Shortly after Kiffin announced he was leaving, Ole Miss promoted defensive coordinator Pete Golding to be head coach.
‘That was an option, to name an interim, but the more myself and the Chancellor thought about it, why do that when we have the guy we know is the guy right in front of us? We decided to go ahead and make the move, make Pete the permanent coach,’ Carter said.
Carter said Golding would have received consideration in a coaching search regardless, and he brings stability back to the locker room.
Before joining Ole Miss in 2023, Golding was the defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2018-22
‘Pete Golding was a guy who always was in the mix with us,’ Carter said. ‘He’s a guy that’s been here for three years. He’s got a great track record, coaching at Alabama and winning national championships. Pete’s a guy in that building that everybody respects. Not just the defense.’
How Ole Miss AD ensured Rebels wouldn’t slide in CFP rankings
The Rebels were No. 6 in the CFP rankings released Dec. 2. It likely means Ole Miss will host a CFP game on either Dec. 19 or Dec. 20.
Ole Miss announced which coaches would be staying through the CFP that morning. That was intentional. Offensive coordinator Charlie Weis Jr, who is following Kiffin to LSU after season, will stay through the playoffs.
‘We were doing a ton of work behind the scenes, working with committee members,’ Carter said. ‘Making sure that they had all the information on who was going to coach our team … couldn’t be more excited about coach Golding and him leading the way.’
The final CFP rankings and bracket will be released Dec. 7.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at Shutchens@gannett.com or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_