TRANSCRIPT: Everything Pete Golding said Wednesday as he preps Ole Miss for playoff debut

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OXFORD, Miss. — Saturday will mark Pete Golding’s first game as a Ole Miss head coach. In his Wednesday press conference, Golding spoke less about the milestone and more about preparation, routine, and trust in his players. From practice structure to player-led decisions, Golding’s focus has remained firmly on process — treating his debut not as a spectacle, but as another opportunity to put his team in position to win.

Here’s everything Coach Golding had to say:

Pete Golding’s Opening Statement:

We’re two weeks in. We used last week like a bye week with the focus on Tulane. And then came back, brought them back Sunday and walked through Monday and then had full pads yesterday. Go shells today. We’re practicing when the game time would be so normally we’re a little earlier am, we’ve kind of moved the back a little bit. And then we’ll have a walk through tomorrow and Fast Friday and get ready to go. So kids have been locked in and focused preparation has been pretty good up to this point.

Questions: There was a report last night that said that you guys are bringing Frank Wilson on staff. Are you able to confirm that right now?

Pete Golding: I mean, we’re looking at a lot of guys and obviously have some guys in that the paperwork’s going through and some other guys that we’ve hired at other positions as well. But, you know, once we get through this game and all those things, we’ll address that 2026 staff when we need to. But right now the focus is on the players.

Question: What’s the health right now of just the team overall. Anybody you’re kind of waiting on watching for anything like that, just, how’s that piece of it?

Pete Golding: Well, we’re pretty healthy. We’re probably as healthy as we’ve been up to this point. You know, we’ve been a little banged up in the back end, especially at corner, which, we’re expecting (Antonio) Kite to be available for this game who wasn’t, you know, the last couple games, which is a big piece for us. And then we’ll have all our pieces on offense as well. So, everybody that we’ve counted on up to this point will be available.

Question: How do you compare this time around compared to the previous time when you played Tulane?

Pete Golding: Yeah, I think it’s two completely different teams. You know, obviously from week four. I think anytime when we both have some transfers from first year players, that’s still early in the system. It’s early in the year. So a lot of those guys have gotten better throughout it. Obviously with the quarterback situation, that’s changed a little bit, a little more two-quarterback system earlier than they are now on a consistent basis. And at this point we’re playing a conference champion. You know, a team that beat the ACC champion and a team that’s playing at a really high level, that’s really well coached. So, you know, obviously you go back from a game planning standpoint from that first game. And you know, what did you not use that you were anticipating that you needed to use? Those things still showing up throughout the remainder of the year prior to this game and having plans for those. But I think it’s a completely different team. I think their confidence, I think they’re playing at a high level. I think the offense is really jelling. I think the quarterback’s playing at a high level. The running back rotation has changed a little bit since we played them, the tackle is back who missed the first game versus us that I think is a really good player as well. So we know we got our hands full. You know they always play extremely hard on defense. And you know those two losses a lot of that was based on the turnover margin and possessions gained. And you know taking care of the football is going to be incredibly important on offense. And we’ve got to do a good job of trying to take it away on defense and then obviously critical downs in that first game. You know, there’s some key fourth downs on the positive side of the field that that we made some stops, some of them based on our efforts, some of them based on a lack of execution on them. So, you know, getting the ball back to our offense is going to be really, really important. But we know this is not a normal American team. They’re a very talented team that are very well coached and are going to be excited to play.

Question: There’s a lot of excitement in Oxford, as if there isn’t on a normal basis anyway, but there’s even more excitement in Oxford than normal. How do you talk to your players about that, to sort of keep them focused on this is just another game kind of thing.

Pete Golding: Obviously, I mean, you talk about, you know, the outcome and results and all those things that were processed that you hear from every coach and all that. But our whole goal is we want them to be excited after the game. We’re not worried about the excitement before the game. You know, we got to make sure our preparation, it is kind of like homecoming games in high school and all those, you know, you get through all that bullshit during the week and you’re worried about the dance and the parade and all that. And they’re going to be a lot of pissed off people at the dance and parade. So we got to make sure that we’re doing what we’re supposed to do throughout the week, to prepare really well, to practice really well, to play really good football team. And obviously all these are 1-0 seasons. And like it has been you know the remainder for the end part of both of us. If we were going to lose one late on either side, we probably wouldn’t be in the position we’re in. So it’s no different from the player’s perspective on that, you know, it’s going to take our best effort from a preparation standpoint and execution standpoint. And, we got to make the fewest amount of mistakes. So we’re not getting caught up in the excitement of the fans and all that. Let’s give them something to be excited about during and after. And we control that by our preparation and how we play.

Question: Pete, two guys that you were personally responsible for coming out of high school, Kam Franklin and William Echoles, are in their second seasons. Both have had breakout years in a lot of ways. Where are they? Where did they kind of start this year? I know William last year had a good run there, early on in the year. But for you, how far have they come and where has really been the growth areas for them? And, what kind of players do you see them kind of blossoming into before their careers are over here?

Pete Golding: Yeah, I think obviously we knew they were really talented coming out of high school. And I think that’s one thing for us. We knew we were going to have stability within the system and the system wasn’t going to change. So I think it’s really important getting those high school players, get them to teach them the system, their freshman year alignment, assignment key. And then that second year, you can really focus on the technical aspect of the position of the pad level and the hand placement, right, and the foot patterns and being productive. And I think they’re both to a point now we can stop coaching defense. And then now they’re looking at the details from an offense and seeing a guard light and seeing a tight end heavy and seeing the back location and have the ability to anticipate plays before they come. So I think their production has increased dramatically because they have a good understanding of the defense. But more importantly, throughout the week of preparation, they can focus on the offense and understand what’s coming based on the tells of the offense. But they both play extremely hard. They’re both heavy handed. You know, Kam’s a big guy to be able to play five technique and still give you a little speed to power in the pass rush game and then Will inside is one of the better ones I’ve been around in a long time and they both love football. They both practice extremely hard, they do things the right way and obviously both of them being Mississippi kids is a bonus on top of it. So, you know, to be honest with you, they are who we thought they were, which is not always the case. And I think a lot of that is based on their mindset and how they’ve worked up to this point, and they’ve had guys in front of them last year and this year that show them the right way and how to do it. And I think that’s really important. That group last year in that room was seeing the J.J. Pegues of the world and the Ivey’s of the world, and all those guys do it the right way and set that expectation of what it’s going to be like in that room and for those guys to continue to carry that on. For those guys, it’s pretty special to watch. So both of them are going to have to have pretty big games for us on Saturday.

Question: Is there one particular area defensively where you feel like y’all y’all started maybe not the best place, or that it took a lot of work that you feel like have come along throughout the year, over the course of the year and really are in a better place than you’ve ever been? Is there any specific spot or area that sticks out to you defensively in that way?

Pete Golding: Well, the concern coming into the year when you have five new pieces in the back end, from a communication standpoint and understanding standpoint and some of the things that we put on them and ask them to do week in and week out, which will change based on who we’re playing. You know, the understanding of that and the communication of that was always a major concern, because we’re not going to get stationary pictures from people and they’re not just going to line up. And hey, you know, what you see is what you’re going to get. It’s going to be a shift of motion. It’s going to be an alternative formation. Make these guys communicate. So I think the safeties have become more comfortable in the checks and the adjustments within the system, which is really, really important. But I would say the back end obviously was my major concern going into the season because the amount of new guys, first year players. That’s not perfect, but I think it has improved and it’s going to need to improve. You know, this week, the front six, most of those guys that you’re counting on really outside of P Will (Princewill Umanmielen) were here. So they already had a really good understanding of it, knew the expectation of it, knew the run tools and the front mechanics and all those things. So you weren’t ever worried about from the communication standpoint and the understanding of it. It was just at that point the execution of it which has improved. It’s been a little inconsistent, but it’s improved, especially later in the year. But I would say from the back end. Super concerned with new guys giving up explosive plays and so a lot of that is communication when it’s non contested. So I would say the back end communication.

Question: Coach have you used Joe Judge as a resource. Being a former head coach up in New York and just his experience at all?

Pete Golding: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think, you know, I’m not dumb enough to think I’m the smartest guy in the building. And, you know, it’s the first thing I learned from my old man that was a head coach: you better hire smarter people than you. And, you know, we’re all product of our experiences. And I’ve been around a lot of incredible head coaches that have done it at an extremely high level. But it’s definitely nice to be able to have a guy that’s been in that seat to be able to bring in the office, right, and, and get their opinion on and see how they see it and all those things. So we try to use everybody in the building, whether it’s the defensive room, whether it’s the offensive room. We’re trying to use all of our resources. We want to keep it in house first, and then if somebody in the building doesn’t know it, then we can start outsourcing other things. So got a lot of really good relationships with really a lot of guys that are extremely successful in that position that I definitely bounce things off of. And he’s one of them.

Question: Hey, Pete, I was wondering about Wydett Williams. I was talking to him yesterday about his adjustment from the Sun Belt level to the SEC level and how it seemed to go pretty seamlessly, at least from my perspective. What did you expect from him? And then if you agree with that, what was it about his game that allowed it to translate as quickly as it did?

Pete Golding: So, you know, he actually was Division II out of high school. He went to Delta State where I played at. And so Coach Cooley and I are good friends over there. So, you know, when I first inquired about him, I called Coach Cooley first at Delta State, and he just talked about his wiring and his mental makeup and how much he loved playing football and how smart he was and what a great kid he was, because you could watch the tape and see that he loves football. You know, he’s got a really good burst. He’s violent at the point of attack. You look at his size, he’s a bigger safety and he’s like, okay, is he loose enough in the hips? Will he have the ability to play man to man? Does it translate from that conference to this conference? But once you meet him and you’re around him, he’s one of those guys that no matter if it’s ping pong, basketball, football, he’s going to find a way to try to be the best guy on the field just by how he’s wired. And so he prepares really hard and practices really hard. So it’s not a surprise at all to me. It was something coming in, we told him we’re not going to give you shit. You gotta come in and earn it. We’re going to give you an opportunity to compete like the rest of them. But he came in with a different mindset than a lot of these guys. I mean, he was super hungry, and he knew he had one year left. He knew he was rolling the dice, going D2 to a mid-major and out of the SEC with one year coming into a system that had already been in place. So, you know, he knew he was kind of rolling the dice, but he’s always bet on himself. And that’s because of how he’s wired and the type of kid that he is. So I’m not shocked at all that the success that he’s had this year because that’s all him. He’s put the work in to get it out. So super proud, you know, of the year he’s had and we’ll continue to have.

Question: Is that something you can’t really judge until you get in front of a guy. Or even you can’t fully judge until you get him on campus and in practice and that kind of thing.

Pete Golding: You know, I think it’s really important, you know, to have relationships with the coaches of where they’re coming from. And, you know, everybody will get to a point and start getting upset like, this guy’s leaving and all that. But I think a lot of the IAA and mid-major guys now have taken on the JuCo mindset, right of like, ‘hey, let’s get really good players, let’s develop them. Let’s let them play really well and let’s let them go get their payday and move to the next level. No different from us going to the NFL. And I think the guys that do that on a consistent basis have more success because they get better players and they’re the first ones that are that are taking your call like ‘coach, there’s no doubt he’s an SEC guy. I’ve coached SEC guys. This is who he reminds me of.’ And they want what’s best for the kid instead of, you know, feeling a certain type of way about and wanting to keep them, another year that could continue, you know, could affect his draft status and all those other things. So, you know, the relationship that we have with guys at Delta State, where it was first at and then Monroe, they were very helpful of understanding how is he in the room? How does he process, how does he learn? What is his work ethic like? Because you’re exactly right. You can’t find all that out in a recruiting weekend. You can try, you can put them on the board, you can pull his tape up, you can get them around your players. You can try to do those things. You can try to talk to some of his former players, some of his former coaches. But if you don’t have a real relationship with them, they’re going to sell them. No different than if a scout comes and asks me about somebody and I don’t know, ‘yeah, he’s a great player.’ You draft him in the first round, it makes us look better, right? I mean, like, there’s got to be a relationship there that you kind of trust on that. But, we had good relationships with the guys that had touched him before. And then if you meet his parents, all it takes is meeting his parents for a weekend and you know exactly what type of kid he is. And so he’s just one of those kids that walks in the room and kind of lights it up. He’s got a high football IQ. So I knew, you know, he’s a kid if he’s anywhere for two years, he’s going to be the captain of that football team. Just how he’s wired. And I know if you’re tough and you’re competitive and you love football and you got a high football IQ, you’re going to play. I don’t care where you go, if you stay long enough, you’re going to play. So that’s definitely why that, you know in my opinion.

Question: Speaking of Delta State, I was just curious if there are any experiences or lessons that you learned when you were the defensive coordinator in 2010 when y’all went to the national title game that can help you now?

Pete Golding: Yeah, I mean, I obviously I’ve been fortunate enough to be in five of those, you know, to this point. And, at that level, it’s very unique because the offense has changed so drastically week in and week out, because at that level, you don’t have a lot of players that are elite at everything. So you’re going week one, you might play a ten personnel team. That’s all. No bag, empty tempo. The next week it’s double slot, triple option. Right. And then the next week it’s 21 personnel, right. And it’s power ISO counter play action pass. So you know being unique with your game plans there and having the ability to have to get it taught right in a very short period. But more importantly, I think you had to look at what guys can do, not what they can’t do. And you have to identify roles and different personnel packages to get those guys on the field. And so I think that level of football made me from a coordinator standpoint, not say, ‘Hey, this is what we do. This is who we are.’ Now that’s going to change week in and week out, year in and year out based on who do you have and who are you playing against and how you match up. So I think the versatility within the package that we have to this day is a big part of being at the Delta States of the world and being at that level that you got to be very multiple and you got to be able to rotate people, and you have to be merciful in your packages to be able to allow guys to get on the field, you know, to be able to play winning football. So you know that piece of it. And then I think, you know, at that level, you don’t care that the game’s at 10 a.m. on ESPN, because that’s what it was, right? I mean, that whole spot the ball mentality, right? You’re riding a bus to Florence, right? The meals aren’t the same. You’re not getting the same gear, but the ability to go out and compete. Right. And be the best at your level, regardless of the network, regardless of how many people are in the stands. Regardless, you know, what hotel you stayed at? Just that that that mindset of it, you know, taught me a lot at a very early age to where regardless whether it was there or Alabama or here, the game is the game. You have to spot the ball and you’re going to have to execute and you got to make the fewest amount of mistakes, and you got to be more excited to play than the other team. And if you do that, you’ll win the game. And if you don’t, just like that day, you’re going to get beat by a field goal at the very end. So, I’ve had a lot of good experiences, you know, at Delta State and a lot of other places that I’ve worked.

Question: And just as a follow up, do you see any similarities or character traits with this Ole Miss team in comparison to that 2010 team?

Pete Golding: I do, because what people don’t realize about that 2010 team, like there were 55 new players on that roster. So I took that job in December and Coach Roberts had completely just gutted that team. And that was D2 before the transfer rule. So we had a lot of bounce backs, D1 and D2 and two-year non participation guys. So it was similar from the standpoint that was a brand new team. So you had the spring and the summer to try to get those guys to come together. And I think that’s what’s unique about this group. I mean, when you look at the starters that are making productive snaps on this team, most of these guys weren’t here last year. And so I think, you know, the way that they’ve gelled and come together and play for each other, I think is very unique in the time span that they’ve had the ability to be able to do that, and I think that speaks to the players’ character and their competitiveness and how well they get along with each other off the field and how much they care about each other. So I think it definitely reminds me of that team. I thought it was a special bond in 2010 that came together really fast because of the right people. You had an elite quarterback, you know. And with Micah, you were talented on the perimeter receiver just like we are here. We were gritty on defense. We weren’t always the most talented roster, but we were gritty and gave ourselves a chance to win the Gulf South and then play for the national championship. So I think there’s a lot of similar qualities in the team of how it was made, how fast it was made, and how fast they had to come together. That was pretty unique.

Question: On Monday, you mentioned letting your kids get excited for you. What do your family and your kids think about playing in a playoff game on Saturday, especially with you as head coach?

Pete Golding: Well, you know, I mean, my kids have been kind of spoiled. So my oldest is 13. You know, we’ve won at least ten games the last nine years in a row. So they’re they’re used to winning. They’re used to big bowl games. You know, when we first took the job, my middle one, which is Bentley, he wasn’t super excited. He was like, “Dad, Like wouldn’t Alabama beat Ole Miss? Like, what are we doing?’ And so they’re used to winning. They like winning. But you know, the first question Bentley, my middle one, asked is can he do the fire extinguisher on the sideline? The first question my little girl asked is, ‘Can I walk juice down the Rebel Walk?’ so I don’t think they were worried about it as much as winning the game and what bowl game. It goes to all the other cool stuff that goes with it for the kids. But no, I put them through a lot. We’ve moved them around a lot. So they’ve been super resilient. So for them to be able to get excited about it makes me extremely happy.

Question: I have to ask, Pete, since you brought those two things up. But what about the fire extinguisher and the dog?

Pete Golding: Like I told the players, I was like, I see this as still this is 2025. And I think routines are very important to players. And this is our responsibility to fulfill this season, right with how it started. And so I’m letting a lot of those guys vote on it. Like, hey, if you felt like it had an impact on the game and it helped us win or lose, then let’s do it. You know, if it’s something that you felt like didn’t have an impact on the game and doesn’t affect winning or losing and you don’t like it, let’s not do it. And so we’re not trying to keep everything exactly the same. You know, if it didn’t impact winning or losing, we’re not going to do it. And if there’s some things that I feel like do impact winning that we haven’t done, we’re doing right now and changing some of those things. But to me, that’s about the players. That’s not a decision that I’m going to make and take away something that they enjoy, right, that they’re used to or make them do that they don’t want to do. So you know, we’ve got a leadership council for our group. Every championship team I’ve been a part of is player led. And I think that’s the good thing about this team. A lot of our best players are our best people that have the ability to make good decisions. So a lot of that’s going to be up to them. And then there’s some things, you know, that I’ve had and some things that I’ve taken away that I know don’t affect winning or losing. And we’re not going to leave up to them. But some of the gameday stuff, I’m definitely living up to them. You know, from an environmental standpoint, do they feel that affects them in a positive way or it doesn’t.