Pete Golding shares what motivated Ole Miss in CFP win over Tulane
By David Wasson
Published:
For a rookie head coach who just earned his first career victory, Pete Golding seems to be getting the hang of this thing awfully quick.
Golding’s Ole Miss Rebels stormed past Tulane 41-10 in the first round of the College Football Playoff on Saturday, and Golding took time during his postgame news conference to discuss the various motivations at play for everyone involved in the Rebels win to perform well.
“Everybody wants to increase their value, whether you are a coach or a player,” Golding said after the game. “A senior wants to increase the value of their first (NFL) contract and get drafted higher. An underclassman, the way the portal is, they want to increase the value of their contract – whether staying here or being more marketable somewhere else.
“It was in everyone’s best interest in this building to coach really well and to play really well.”
Golding was dealing with that on his own staff, as Charlie Weis Jr. returned to work as offensive coordinator during the CFP run despite leaving with former coach Lane Kiffin to LSU.
And perform well the Rebels did, as quarterback Trinidad Chambliss passed for 282 yards and accounted for 3 total touchdowns as the sixth-seeded Rebels dispatched the 11th-seeded Green Wave to advance to the CFP quarterfinals.
Ole Miss (12-1) will take on SEC champion Georgia (12-1) in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day (8 pm ET, ESPN) – a game that will be a rematch of the Bulldogs’ 43-35 victory over the Rebels on Oct. 18.
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. He also hosts Gulfshore Sports with David Wasson, weekdays from 3-5 pm across Southwest Florida and on FoxSportsFM.com. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
