No. 6 Ole Miss coach Pete Golding joked earlier this week about little sleep he’s getting as the Rebel’s coach.
“I just don’t sleep,” Golding said when asked how he handles his busy days.
It’s not hard to believe.
Since taking over for the departed Lane Kiffin almost two weeks, Golding has put together a top 25 recruiting class, is leading Ole Miss in preparation of its College Football Playoff game and has hired multiple assistant coaches and coordinators.
The latest coaching news for Golding’s staff is a new contract with defensive line coach Randall Joyner, according to On3’s Zach Berry. Berry adds contract terms aren’t know right now and its likely Joyner will receive a title bump and pay raise.
Ole Miss DL coach Randall Joyner is staying put. He has signed a new deal and will be back in Oxford in 2026 as Associate Head Coach/DL coach. More coming at @OMSpiritOn3
Join @On3sports | @Rivals today for $1 and never miss an update like this one… pic.twitter.com/1Hi4VouxTR
— Zach Berry (@Zach_Berry) December 13, 2025
It was made clear early on in the wake of Kiffin’s departure the Ole Miss defensive coaching staff would be retained through the playoffs and beyond. Now, it’s becoming official.
Retaining Joyner is great for the future of Ole Miss. He’s an excellent recruiter and look at the plethora of talented defensive linemen that have come through Oxford in recent years.
Walter Nolen, JJ Pegues, Jared Ivey, Suntarine Perkins, Princely Umanmielen, Zxavian Harris, Will Eckles and many more have anchored the defensive line.
Last season the Rebels set program records for sacks (52) and tackles for a loss (120).
Most SEC fans appreciate how important it is to have a great defensive line and is a key ingredient in almost every champion (conference, national, super bowl, high school state title, etc.).
More coaching news to come
More coaching news is likely to come in the near future.
Some of the LSU-bound coaches have had their hires replaced (e.g., offensive coordinator), but other position coaches haven’t.
Wide receivers coach George McDonald and tight ends coach Joe Cox already have signed deals with LSU. Runnings back Kevin Smith hasn’t committed to either LSU or Ole Miss and which way he leans depends on what you’re reading.
Golding’s promotion also means Golding may need to hire another defensive assistant coach.
So, when Golding jokes about not getting any sleep, there’s some truth to it. Also, it’s not like he’s hiring buddies. Instead he’s conducting full interview processes.
“I like to do things on Zoom first to get a good feel of guys…would they be a good fit?” Golding explained. “And then we’ll bring guys into the building and interview some guys throughout the process when our players aren’t here.”
