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This is an opinion column.
If we’re going to write about new SEC coaches breaking norms at media days, let’s not limit this to one post.
Let’s talk about Pete Golding.
Once a favorite four-letter word for Alabama fans, the former Nick Saban-era defensive coordinator’s grown into a first-year head coach at Mississippi.
Saban famously limited the media exposure for his assistant coaches, and we saw again Wednesday what the world was missing when muzzling Golding.
While visually cleaned up from his scruffy mop-top days in Tuscaloosa, Golding speaks with an unprocessed authenticity that’s rare among SEC coaches.
That was on display in Tampa.
Golding said a potty word (the bovine manure one) live on basic cable while speaking a folksy form of English that doesn’t sound forced.
Before we get to the big one, let’s first talk about a funny moment. Speaking in a smaller room than the main media days stage, Golding was asked for the thousandth time about his relationship with Lane Kiffin and the September showdown in Oxford.
Asked if he thinks the hoopla will die down after Kiffin brings LSU to town, Golding dropped this classic.
“It’s the ex, there’s always gonna be the history,” Golding said. “Do you have an ex? Are you married? Well, if you do get married and you have an ex your wife knows about, it doesn’t ever end. She’s never dead. She’s always gonna get brought up.”
Perfect.
Now, back in the main room, Golding went to a place he promised he wouldn’t go. The topic of Mississippi’s post-enrollment recruitment of then-Clemson linebacker Luke Ferrelli has been news since January.
Clemson hit Golding’s program with tampering accusations since Ferrelli had already transferred and enrolled at Clemson before being lured to Oxford.
After he made the move to Mississippi, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney went off on the tampering allegations. He called it “total hypocrisy,” among other things.
Well, Golding was asked about this again Wednesday.
“Yeah, I don’t get into feelings to be honest with you,” Golding said in a moment of restraint that wouldn’t last. “We got a compliance department. They get paid to do their job. They do a really good job.”
A few moments later, Golding was asked a second question about tampering — specifically, how would he fix it given today’s high-stakes transfer marketplace.
The restraints failed and the dam broke.
“Let me put it to you this way: You’re a reporter,” Golding began. “Would you quit your job before interviewing for another job or being offered another job? No. Nobody would. But we have a portal we can go in with a do-not-contact, I’m going to quit my job where I’m getting paid, and I’m going to go in saying I need a new job, which nobody can call me to interview.”
He’s cooking now.
“What have we created?” Golding continued. “So we’ve created it on top of representation for these players, right, that it’s their responsibility to make sure they get paid really well and they also have opportunities. So, by design, it’s put a lot of people in bad positions.”
It’s worth watching his answer because words on a screen don’t do it justice. Here’s the video cued up to the moment.
“Let’s not act like recruiting in college football for the last 100 years is the most moral thing,” Golding said in the most telling moment of the answer. “What are we talking about here?”
At this point, the Mississippi media relations staff must have been in full spiral mode.
“I’m not going to get into my feelings,” Golding continued. “I’ve been educated to answer this question. Does that make sense? That’s why we have a great compliance department and all those things. No, the model obviously has been broken. I’m all for everybody being on the same playing field and doing the same things. I get it.”
He then got into another degree of hypocrisy with this debate.
“Like coaches, we’re under contract,” Golding said. “You don’t think other ADs are calling us during the year? Same ones that are bitching about all this stuff are the same ones calling coaches to come to other schools, so it’s everywhere in every profession. I am not saying I have all the answers.
We go by the rules of the program and the flow. Like when you’re on the interstate and people are flying by you, what are do you start doing? Damn right. Or you’re going to get hit.”
Again, these words are better heard than read, so watch his full answer.
“In this profession you’re going to get fired,” Golding said. “I’m not saying that. But I think there are a lot of people doing an unbelievable job, Greg (Sankey) being one, to make sure everything is catching up. College football is always changing. Hopefully we’ll all decide on what’s fair for everybody.”
Granted, there are multiple ways to view this complex situation involving Clemson, Ferrelli and Swinney.
It’s probably true we need to update old rules written for a previous recruiting ecosystem.
Golding’s answer spoke to that.
And to the authenticity that makes him a refreshing new voice that had been hidden away for far too long.
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