The Ole Miss Rebels turned to Pete Golding when Lane Kiffin left Oxford. He may have been the last man standing more than anything, with Kiffin successfully bringing so many coaches with him to LSU. Just nine games into Golding’s coaching career, though, he’s in some incredible company.
Ole Miss’ 31-3 win over Missouri in Week 7 gave Pete Golding his fifth ranked victory as a head coach. That whopping total, in such quick fashion, ties him with legendary Oklahoma head coach Barry Switzer for the fewest total games to reach five ranked wins in college football history, as noted by SEC Network analyst Cole Cubelic.
Golding began his head coaching career in the 2025 College Football Playoff. His Rebels hosted the Tulane Green Wave and easily dispatched them 41-10, which thrust Ole Miss into the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. The Rebels defeated the Bulldogs 39-34 to give Golding his second ranked triumph.
Ole Miss kicked off its 2026 campaign against the No. 24 Louisville Cardinals on a neutral field in Nashville, TN. Lucas Carneiro’s 48-yard field goal as time expired gave the Rebels a 41-38 triumph and Golding his third ranked win. The fourth ranked triumph came vs. LSU in Kiffin’s return to Oxford in Week 3.
Unlike Switzer, who went 10-0-1 in his debut season, Golding has already suffered losses in his tenure. Replicating Switzer’s effort of winning the national championship in his second season, though, is still on the table. Ole Miss faces the Texas Longhorns on Saturday night (7:30 p.m. ET, ABC).
