Who Pete Golding has hired for 2026 Ole Miss football staff and what openings remain
OXFORD — The staff that will take Ole Miss football coach Pete Golding's into his first full season has taken shape.
Golding had to juggle a CFP run, the transfer portal and coaching staff movement in his first weeks on the job after taking over for Lane Kiffin on Nov. 30. After a Fiesta Bowl loss on Jan. 8, Golding can officially tailor the staff to his specifications.
Major roles have been filled, but there still could be movement. A tight ends coach and linebackers coach have not been designated, but those could be filled through in-house promotions or by assigning a coordinator. Here is who Golding has hired so far, and what to know about each newcomer.
John David Baker, offensive coordinatorJohn David Baker has extensive experience in Kiffin's offense at Ole Miss.
Golding hired Baker after he was the offensive coordinator at East Carolina for two seasons. Before that, he was at Ole Miss from 2021-23 as co-offensive coordinator and tight ends coach.
Baker engineered a high-powered offense at ECU in 2025. The Pirates were No. 19 in the NCAA in total offense (449 yards per game) and averaged 32.7 points.
Patrick Toney, defensive coordinatorPatrick Toney, the former defensive backs coach with the Arizona Cardinals, has similar coaching roots to Golding.
Toney worked with Golding at FCS Southeastern Louisiana in 2012-13. They also teamed up on the UTSA coaching staff in 2016-17 when Golding was the defensive coordinator.
Toney has SEC experience. He was the defensive coordinator at Florida in 2022.
Frank Wilson, senior associate head coach/running backs coachRunning backs coach Frank Wilson was the head coach at LSU as recently as Dec. 27.
Wilson was the interim at LSU after Brian Kelly was fired, and he led the Tigers through the Texas Bowl.
Wilson was the head coach at UTSA from 2016-19, where he was Golding's boss, and McNeese State's coach from 2020-21. It's Wilson's second stint as running backs coach at Ole Miss. He worked under Ed Orgeron from 2005-07.
L'Damian Washington, wide receivers coachL'Damian Washington was a standout wide receiver at Missouri (2009-13) who has transitioned into an excellent coaching career. He was an undrafted free agent in 2014 and played in the NFL, CFL and XFL until 2020.
Washington came to Ole Miss after coaching at Kentucky for one season. Before that he was at South Florida for two seasons under new Auburn coach Alex Golesh. He coached at Oklahoma in 2022 and Southern in 2021.
Michael Spurlock, offensive assistant/wide receiversMichael Spurlock is another coach who was with Golding at UTSA. Spurlock was the Roadrunners' special teams coach in 2017.
Since, Spurlock as been an analyst at Ole Miss (2020-21) and been an assistant with the Green Bay Packers (2022) and Western Kentucky (2023). His was the running backs coach at Southern Miss in 2024 and 2025.
Spurlock was initially a quarterback at Ole Miss, but his versatility led to an NFL career. He was a returner in the NFL after graduating in 2005. He played in the NFL from 2006-14.
Austin Thomas, president of football operations, general managerThomas has bounced back and forth between Ole Miss and LSU since 2021. He replaces Billy Glasscock, who followed Kiffin to LSU.
He was LSU's football general manager from 2021-22 and then went to Ole Miss as the senior associate athletic director and general manager until 2024. He went to LSU as the Tigers' senior associate athletic director in 2025.
Now Thomas is back at Ole Miss, where he reunites with assistant general manager Kelvin Bolden.
Kelvin Bolden, assistant general managerKelvin Bolden rejoins Ole Miss after one season at LSU. He was at Ole Miss for three seasons as the Rebels' coordinator of recruiting strategy.
Bolden played wide receiver at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Southern Miss. He is known for having recruiting connections throughout Mississippi.
Which Ole Miss football coaches stayed with Pete Golding?Golding retained quarterbacks coach Joe Judge, co-defensive coordinator Bryan Brown, offensive line coach John Garrison, defensive line coach Randall Joyner, safeties coach Wes Neighbors and special teams coordinator Jake Schoonover.
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: What to know about Pete Golding's 2026 Ole Miss football coaching staff
