It has been quite the hectic offseason of moving pieces for the Ole Miss Rebels. Lane Kiffin accepted the LSU job before the regular season even ended, creating a void at head coach. Pete Golding was named the new head coach moments after Kiffin's departure, and from there the two jostled over assistant coaches.
Lane Kiffin took most of the offensive staff with him to Baton Rouge along with GM Billy Glasscock, Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Savage, and several other key staffers. Pete Golding did a nice job filling voids on the staff, but as he stepped into the head coaching role, he needed to bring on help running the defense.
Pete Golding loses Patrick Toney a month after hiring his new DC
Early in January, Pete Golding moved to hire a new Co-Defensive coordinator, hiring Arizona Cardinals defensive backs coach Patrick Toney. The move made a ton of sense as Golding worked with Toney together at Southeastern Louisiana and UTSA. Toney also brought SEC experience as he was Billy Napier's defensive coordinator in 2022.
Just over a month after hiring Patrick Toney, Pete Golding has to replace him as Toney is reportedly joining the Atlanta Falcons as the new defensive pass game coordinator.
The Atlanta Falcons are targeting Ole Miss defensive coordinator Patrick Toney for a defensive pass game coordinator role, a source tells @On3. @mzenitz first.https://t.co/jWuSKpDJ5Y pic.twitter.com/7wdsGlcLFu
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) February 27, 2026
The news hurts Ole Miss as Toney was going to play a key role on the staff, but Pete Golding now needs to hire a new Co-Defensive Coordinator. Given Toney's familiarity with Pete Golding, it's going to be hard to find a candidate with the same level of experience.
Ole Miss won't suffer too much from the loss from a play calling standpoint as Pete Golding was already going to be calling the defense in 2026. Bryan Brown was already the Co-Defensive Coordinator and could take on the full role this season if Pete Golding opts not to make another move.