OXFORD, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi coach Pete Golding was in too good of a mood to complain about his recent lack of sleep.
“I sleep fine,” Golding deadpanned when asked about the exhausting schedule he’s kept since taking over for Lane Kiffin on Nov. 30. “I feel amazing.”
His debut could not have gone much better.
No. 6 Ole Miss raced to a 14-0 lead over 17th-ranked Tulane and led by double digits for the rest of a 41-10 victory in the opening round of the College
Football Playoff on Saturday.
The result erased any uncertainty about how the sixth-seeded Rebels would respond to a tumultuous few weeks that saw Kiffin move to Southeastern Conference rival LSU — with several offensive assistants to follow.
Athletic director Keith Carter took less than 12 hours after Kiffin confirmed he was leaving to promote Golding, the defensive coordinator, to the first head coaching job of his career.
While Golding emphasized that his commitment to Ole Miss would endure long-term, he knew his first few weeks would require a lot more from him than merely preparing for the most significant game ever played on campus.
Golding wanted to fill impending vacancies on the offensive staff and get those coaches to Oxford as soon as possible so they could try to influence players' thoughts on whether to transfer before the portal opened in January.
Golding also re-integrated several key offensive staff members — including coordinator Charlie Weis Jr., who is among those set to join Kiffin next season.
Still, linebacker TJ Dottery said, Golding has been "the same guy every day.”
“Really felt good to get this one for him," Dottery continued. "Really good.”
Quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, who Golding has retained for next season, said, “Pete is Pete. He’s not going to change because you put a label on him.”
Defensive coordinator Bryan Brown spoke about Golding's “swag.”
“He controls the room. He controls the narrative in anything that he wants to control,” Brown said. “The guys believe in him just like they do defensively, and you can see it turning over to our full team. He just is a great human being, great coach, great motivator ... and is going to be a heck of a coach for a long, long time.”
Golding said the transition was made easier by having players who “actually enjoy playing together, and they don’t want it to end.”
Tulane coach Jon Sumrall, who is leaving the Green Wave to coach Florida next season, has considered Golding one of his friends in the coaching business and predicted continued success for Ole Miss.
“Pete will do a great job. I’ve got a lot of respect for Pete,” Sumrall said. “This place has gotten it going. I think Lane did a good job, I think Pete will do a good job.
“All the people that have created the success here, it’s obvious that they’re all pulling the rope in the same direction administratively here,” Sumrall continued. “They’re all marching to the same beat. I think Pete will continue to keep that thing going.”
Having aced their first test in Kiffin's absence, perhaps Golding and the Rebels will focus exclusively on preparing to play Georgia in a CFP quarterfinal the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans on Jan. 1.
“We'll see,” he said, glancing around at media members inside the Ole Miss football headquarters, named for the Manning family, some of whom came to Oxford to show their support for Golding.
“That's up to you guys.”
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