Ole Miss coach Pete Golding made another move to fill out his first football staff, hiring former Rebel and NFL veteran Michael Spurlock to replace senior analyst and inside receivers coach Sawyer Jordan.
Jordan followed Lane Kiffin to LSU after the former Ole Miss coach took over the Tigers’ program earlier this month.
The Rebels expect this to be one of several assistant hires in the coming days. Golding is building both an immediate plan for the College Football Playoff and a long-term staff for the seasons ahead.
L’Damian Washington, who previously coached at Kentucky, is the leading candidate to replace outgoing wide receivers coach George McDonald.
Washington has experience with multiple systems, including two seasons as passing game coordinator under Alex Golesh at USF. Golesh recently became Auburn’s head coach after Hugh Freeze stepped aside.
Spurlock played 19 of 22 possible games for the Rebels in 2004 and 2005. The Indianola native filled several roles and threw for 1,709 yards and nine total touchdowns as a quarterback.
His NFL career included a unique moment in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history, where he returned the first kickoff for a touchdown in franchise history and added four more return scores in later seasons.
Spurlock entered coaching in 2014 and worked at UTSA under Frank Wilson and defensive coordinator Pete Golding in 2017.
Wilson has been mentioned as another possible assistant candidate for Golding as the new staff continues to take shape.
Spurlock’s coaching path links back to Oxford
Rebs fans know Spurlock from his time as a former player, but he has also coached at several stops across the country.
He served as wide receivers coach and special teams coordinator at Southeastern Louisiana and later worked as an analyst at Ole Miss for two seasons, including the 2021 Sugar Bowl run.
He coached running backs at Southern Miss in 2024–25 and spent this season as an analyst at Auburn.
Only a few on-field roles remain for Golding to complete his debut staff. The biggest shift so far came last week when Golding hired East Carolina offensive coordinator John David Baker.
Baker is already in Oxford and working, even though Charlie Weis Jr. remains in place to call plays during the College Football Playoff. Weis is set to leave for LSU once the season ends.
The 11-1 Rebels, seeded sixth in the CFP, host No. 11 Tulane (11-2) on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. on TNT/HBO Max.
Golding kept special teams coordinator Jake Schoonover and offensive line coach John Garrison on staff.
He also retained his entire defensive group, and defensive line coach Randall Joyner signed a new deal on Friday.
Golding will continue as the primary defensive play-caller. He previously coached linebackers, but with a new structure coming, he has been in discussions with Travaris Robinson, Ron Roberts and Patrick Toney.
Postseason moves shape busy transition
Rebs senior analyst Matt Kitchens moved into an on-field defensive assistant role for the postseason.
Kitchens previously coached safeties at South Alabama and served as defensive coordinator at Central Arkansas.
Golding still must hire a wide receivers coach, tight ends coach and likely a running backs coach after the playoffs.
George McDonald, Joe Cox and Kevin Smith will finish the season with Ole Miss before moving on. McDonald and Cox have already signed with LSU, while Smith is widely expected to join him there.
Wilson, who once worked with Golding at UTSA, is LSU’s interim head coach through the Houston Bowl on December 27.
According to reporting from the Ole Miss Spirit, Wilson has recently spoken with both Golding and Texas coach Steve Sarkisian about future opportunities.
Texas hired Jabbar Juluke on Friday as associate head coach and running backs coach, filling a role that Wilson had been connected to.
Kiffin, who left the Rebs for LSU, is believed to be keeping a coaching position open for Smith. Wilson has received no final update on where he stands with LSU after the bowl game.
Assistant search remains active during CFP push
As the Rebels prepare for Tulane, Golding works through a transition unlike most first-year staffs.
Several coaches remain in place for the playoff run before moving on to new jobs, while new hires like Baker and Spurlock take early steps toward shaping the future roster and scheme.
With only a few openings left, Golding’s first full staff is close to being complete.
The balance between winning now and preparing for 2026 has made this one of the more layered staff transitions in recent program history.
Key takeaways
- Golding added former Rebel Michael Spurlock to his first staff
- Several assistants will stay through the playoffs before leaving
- The Rebs still need hires at wide receivers, tight ends and running backs
