Ole Miss rewarded defensive coordinator Pete Golding with a three-year contract extension to make him one of the highest-paid assistant coaches in college football, per ESPN’s Chris Low. Golding is set to earn an average of $2.61 million per year over the life of the contract, which ranks fourth nationally among defensive coordinators. Only Penn State’s Jim Knowles ($3.1 million), Auburn’s DJ Durkin ($2.7 million) and USC’s D’Anton Lynn ($2.65 million) have higher average annual salaries.
Golding becomes the second-highest earner among SEC defensive coordinators with the new deal. And with a 2025 salary of $2.55 million, he becomes the second-highest earner among all college football assistants for this season. His salary increases next year to $2.6 million and in 2027 to $2.7 million.
Under his previous contract, Golding would have earned $2.25 million this season. This is his third year at Ole Miss after he arrived by way of Alabama, where he made his Power Four debut in 2018 and held the defensive coordinator title through 2022.
The extension and raise are a product of the Rebels’ outstanding defenses over the last two years. Golding’s 2024 unit ranked second nationally in scoring defense at a minuscule 14.4 points per game and paced the nation with 52 sacks. After the season’s conclusion, defensive tackle Walter Nolen flew off the board as the No. 16 player selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, and four defensive players joined him in the draft class.
Ole Miss’ defensive front, constructed almost exclusively through the transfer portal, was a dominant force that stymied opposing rushing attacks to the tune of 80.5 yards per game — the second-lowest average in college football. That the run defense complemented one of the sport’s most ferocious pass-rush units made the Rebels as fearsome of a group as any in the country.
Golding’s outlook for 2025 is a bit murkier given the losses of key personnel. The Rebels were again active in the transfer portal, and if the acquisitions pan out, Golding will have another batch of high-end talent around which he can construct a scheme.
“I think they’re a really gritty group,” Golding said last week. “I think they really love football. I think they have a high football IQ. I think a lot of the guys, all you have to do is tell them one time and then if they make a mistake, they’ll correct it. It’s not the exact same talent at certain spots, but I think collectively, we have more depth than we’ve ever had at multiple different positions.”
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