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Ole Miss’ Pete Golding Brushes Off Lane Kiffin’s Social Media Jabs

The friendly (and occasionally feisty) rivalry between Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding and LSU’s Lane Kiffin shows no signs of slowing down—but Golding isn’t losing sleep over it.

Kiffin, who left Ole Miss for LSU in November, has made a habit of playful digs at his former team, often tagging Ole Miss and its fans in memes and tweets. But Golding, his former defensive coordinator under Kiffin for three years, sees the banter for what it is: just good-natured teasing.

“Lane is Lane,” Golding said in late April. “He jokes around, we mess with each other, but there’s no real bite behind it.”

Kiffin, never one to back down from a verbal sparring match, responded with his own lighthearted jab:

“Love you too @CoachGolding. Hope you beat (Georgia coach Kirby Smart) in golf also.”

The good-natured feud took another turn on April 25, when Kiffin posted a meme reading:

“Imagine how boring your life would be if you didn’t have me to annoy you,” tagging both Ole Miss and Tennessee—where he coached briefly in 2009.

A Coaching Bond That Outweighs the Banter

Despite the public jabs, Golding and Kiffin share a deep professional history. Kiffin gave Golding his first major coaching opportunity, and the two worked closely together before Golding took over at Ole Miss. Even after Kiffin’s departure, their relationship remained strong—with Kiffin’s teasing extending beyond social media into text messages.

“I wish him nothing but success,” Golding said. “He gave me my first real coaching break.”

Not all Ole Miss fans share Golding’s laid-back approach, but the head coach keeps things in perspective. The history between the two coaches, built on mutual respect and shared experiences, matters far more than the occasional online skirmish.

After all, Kiffin didn’t just leave Ole Miss—he helped shape the career of the man now leading the program.