Ole Miss Team Cheers for New Coach in Leaked Audio From Lane Kiffin Meeting

Leaked audio laid out the scene as members of the Ole Miss football team were officially made aware head coach Lane Kiffin was leaving town.

University of Mississippi athletic director Keith Carter held a meeting with the team on Sunday, November 30, in which individuals were asked to turn over their phones upon entry. However, one sleuth snuck theirs in to record audio of the proceedings, which then found its way to social media. 

“You guys mean a lot to me,” Carter, 49, told the team. “I played basketball here. I’m a former student-athlete here … I’m red-and-blue. This is my home. I’ve been here forever. Been here 30 years. Anything I do, I’m going to do with the best interest of this institution.”

Carter continued, “The other thing that I do is I do things that are in the best interest of our student-athletes. Again, a little tumultuous time over the past few weeks. But when it came right down to it, we have someone that is a leader of men that can lead you guys. And that man is Pete Golding.”

The room then erupted in uproarious applause with the news that Golding, 41, the team’s defensive coordinator, would be the new Ole Miss head coach for the upcoming College Football Playoff and beyond. 

University chancellor Glenn Boyce also spoke at the meeting, who commended the team for keeping their focus on football during “some tough weeks.”

“You guys have played your way through it,” Boyce, 66, said. “You’ve shown your maturity. It’s been amazing what you’ve achieved. This team is historic. This team will never, ever be forgotten at this university.”

Carrying a message from “our alumnus and for this fan base who have suffered for a long time,” Boyce told the players, “We appreciate you more than you’ll ever know.”

“There will come a time, even through all these tough times you’re experiencing, you’re going to look back and know that you played at a special time at this university,” Boyce said. 

Boyce then gave a hopeful nod to the future, insisting that all of Ole Miss’ goals are still in front of them, even in the absence of Kiffin. 

“Keep pushing,” Boyce told the players. “Don’t lose your dream. Don’t lose the aspirations to take it all. Because you’re that good.”

Related: Landry Kiffin‘s LSU Boyfriend Trolls Ole Miss Fans Over New Tigers Coach

Find someone in sports having more fun right now than LSU Tigers linebacker Whit Weeks. Just over two months after he and girlfriend Landry Kiffin hard-launched their relationship via Instagram, LSU has hired her father, former Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin, as the Tigers’ new head coach. Weeks, 20, trolled Ole Miss fans over their […]

Kiffin, 50, announced on Sunday that he would be leaving to take the head coaching job at Louisiana State University after six seasons at Ole Miss.

In Kiffin’s statement announcing his departure, he said he wanted to stay and coach Ole Miss during their upcoming College Football Playoff run, but was vetoed by Carter. 

“After a lot of prayer and time spent with family, I made the difficult decision to accept the head coaching position at LSU,” Kiffin said. “I was hoping to complete a historic six season run with this year’s team by leading Ole Miss through the playoffs, capitalizing on the team’s incredible success and their commitment to finish strong, and investing everything into a playoff run with guardrails in place to protect the program in any areas of concern.”

Kiffin continued, “My request to do so was denied by Keith Carter despite the team also asking him to allow me to keep coaching them so they could better maintain their high level of performance. Unfortunately, that means Friday’s Egg Bowl [against Mississippi State] was my last game coaching the Rebels.”