Ole Miss, Pete Golding agree to multi-year contract extension – making him highest-paid assistant in SEC
On Wednesday, Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding secured a significant multi-year contract extension – once again solidifying him as one of the top assistants in college football. The new deal will ensure Golding will be paid $2.55 million for the 2025-26 season, according to a report from Sam Hutchens from the Clarion Ledger. The […]
On Wednesday, Ole Miss defensive coordinator Pete Golding secured a significant multi-year contract extension – once again solidifying him as one of the top assistants in college football. The new deal will ensure Golding will be paid $2.55 million for the 2025-26 season, according to a report from Sam Hutchens from the Clarion Ledger. The new contract is part of a new three-year deal.
Golding’s annual pay will increase to $2.6 million February 1, 2026 to January 31, 2017. It will increase once again to $2.7 million from February 1, 2027 to January 31, 2028. If Ole Miss were to win an SEC title, Golding would earn another $50,000.
One step further, if Ole Miss won the College Football Playoff, he’d earn a decent $150,000 bonus.
Pete Golding has done a tremendous job transforming the Ole Miss defense.
Since joining Ole Miss as defensive coordinator in January 2023, Pete Golding has orchestrated a dramatic defensive turnaround. In his first season, the Rebel defense became a force—leading the team to its first-ever 11-win season. Golding’s group led the SEC and ranked 5th nationally in turnover margin (+11). Ole Miss also vaulted into the top 35 in several key categories: sacks (19th, 2.7/game), interceptions (25th, 13 INTs), tackles for loss (29th, 6.3/game), and scoring defense (34th, 22.1 PPG).
Then, 2024 happened. Golding and Ole Miss put together one of the most dominant defenses in recent SEC memory on the backs of several 2025 NFL Draft picks.
Ole Miss led the nation with 52 sacks and were 4th nationally in scoring defense – allowing just 13.9 points per game. The Rebel defense also set program records with 120 tackles for loss and limited opponents to just 80.5 rushing yards per game—the fewest by an Ole Miss defense since 1966.
No surprise to anyone Pete Golding is doing what he’s doing at Ole Miss.
After coaching at his alma mater, Delta State, in the FCS at Southeastern Louisiana, and at Southern Mississippi, Golding first really made his presence felt at UTSA. There, his defense set school records and ranked highly in national defensive categories – culminating in the program’s first bowl game. In his first season, the Roadrunners set several records – including single-season marks for tackles (934), tackles for loss (77), sacks (27), and quarterback hurries (38).
Golding’s 2017 defense at UTSA finished seventh in the FBS – allowing just 287.8 yards per game. The Roadrunners were second in first downs defense (166), eighth in scoring defense (17.0 ppg), and 19th in pass efficiency defense (112.19).
He then left to coach under arguably the greatest college football coach of all-time, Nick Saban, at Alabama. There, his first defense finished the 2018 season third nationally in scoring (18.1 ppg) and 16th in total defense (319.5 ypg). The rushing defense was 19th nationally (121.3 ypg) while the pass efficiency defense ranked 23rd. Alabama also finished 10th nationally in sacks per game.
In his five seasons at Alabama, Pete Golding’s defenses were Top-20 in the FBS in scoring defense every year.
His 2023 Ole Miss defense featured three NFL Draft picks in DeAntre Prince, Cedric Johnson, and Daijahn Anthony. Last season’s group was even better.
Leading the charge were first team All-Americans Walter Nolen and Chris Paul Jr. – who were both among a seven-round NFL Draft record eight selections for Ole Miss. Nolen, the 14th consensus All-American in program history, was the first Rebel selected in the first-round at No. 16 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Trey Amos was taken in the second-round by the Washington Commanders, Princely Umanmielen was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the third round, Paul Jr. went to the Los Angeles Rams in the fifth, and JJ Pegues was picked up by the Las Vegas Raiders in the sixth round.
