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andrea adelson
Scottsdale, Arizona — ole miss Coach Pete Goulding scoffed at the idea that he sent a message with two College Football Playoff wins after Lane Kiffin left for LSU, saying Wednesday, “I have nothing to say to anybody.”
Goulding was asked during his team’s final press conference before playing miami Vrbo in the CFP Semifinals in the Fiesta Bowl If he had anything to say to Kiffin or those who doubted Ole Miss would be in this position after the events of the last six weeks.
Kiffin left Ole Miss after an 11–1 regular season take lsu coaching job on November 30, and Golding was promoted from defensive coordinator to head coach shortly thereafter. The Rebels defeated Tulane and Georgia to make the semi-finals, ending the chaos that had engulfed the program.
Golding said Kiffin’s departure “couldn’t come at a better time for the players.
“There was already a culture created there,” he said. “They knew the expectations. The only thing that was different was who was getting them out of the tunnel, and to be honest with you, I don’t think the players care who is getting them out of the tunnel. They care about their plan. They care about being held accountable, and how they’re going to prepare, and they care about people who care about them. That’s the message that our players have created. I don’t have anything to say to anyone else.”
As part of his answer, Golding also said, “You want to build a program where it’s going in the right direction, and one person, one player, won’t derail it. There’s too much invested in it, and it’s aligned correctly that one person won’t impact anything that much. If that’s the case, it’s probably not built the right way.”
Goulding also confirmed that offensive coordinator Charlie Weise Jr. and running backs coach Kevin Smith will coach in Thursday’s game, while tight ends coach/co-offensive coordinator Joe Cox and receivers coach/passing game coordinator George McDonald will not. All four coaches are joining Kiffin at LSU and coaching in the quarterfinals.
“They have another job that’s paying them, and they have a responsibility, and at this point, the way the calendar is now, they have 35 people that are in the portal, and they have to build a team,” Golding said. “Do they want to be here? You’re absolutely right they do. But they’ve got a job to do, and they’ve got to build a team where they’re at.” He said Ole Miss has “a lot of people” to help coach.
