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With Pete Golding entering his first official season as Mississippi football coach, he had the important task of keeping quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and running back Kewan Lacy. How did he do it?
By dissing former coach Lane Kiffin.
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The current Rebels coach said at SEC Media Days on Wednesday, July 22, he pitched Chambliss and Lacy on the legacy they would leave at Ole Miss if they stayed — and how the Rebels fan base had turned on Kiffin when he took the job at LSU.
"Football’s gonna end. What are you going to use? You gotta use an alumni base to be able to get you a job. Where are you gonna bring your kids to? What jersey are they wearing? Y’all two created a legacy in one season that’s gonna be hard for anybody to overtake," Golding said, per ESPN's David Hale. "For what’s going on now, for Coach Kiffin to leave — go Google Lane Kiffin. I had them both do it in my office.
"Google Lane Kiffin, the dude they’d have built a statue of here three days ago. Google his name right now. They wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire. They’ll do the same thing to y'all."
The 2025 campaign was the best in Ole Miss history, as the Rebels won 11 games in the regular season for the first time in program history. While it put the Rebels in the College Football Playoff for the first time, the end of the season was overshadowed by whether Kiffin would stay or depart, and — if the latter — whether he would be allowed to remain with the Rebels for the postseason.
Ultimately, Kiffin did leave for LSU at the end of the regular season, and was not allowed to coach Ole Miss during the playoff, receiving an unpleasant departure from Oxford as Golding was appointed the new coach. There was belief Chambliss and Lacy could follow their old coach to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but they ultimately stayed put and are a large reason why the Rebels remain a contender to return to the playoff.
After getting a sixth year of eligibility, Chambliss enters the season having thrown for 3,937 yards and 30 total touchdowns last season. Lacy, meanwhile, set the single-season program record with 1,567 rushing yards and 24 rushing touchdowns.
The words were part of an eventful day for Golding at his first SEC media days in charge of Ole Miss. He discussed his relationship with Kiffin, telling reporters they remain friends and neither have any ill will against each other after he was Kiffin's defensive coordinator for three seasons.
"Lane and I are good," he said.
Ole Miss and LSU will have their highly anticipated matchup in Week 3 on Saturday, Sept. 19 for Kiffin's return to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Pete Golding kept Trinidad Chambliss, Kewan Lacy from leaving: 'Google Lane Kiffin'
