Pete Golding shares cryptic post amid news of Frank Wilson leaving LSU for Ole Miss

The rivalry between LSU and Ole Miss took another turn Tuesday as On3’s Pete Nakos reported the Rebels are preparing to hire Tigers’ interim head coach Frank Wilson as running backs coach. Before the news broke, though, Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding dropped quite a hint.

Golding tweeted a shark emoji – typically indicating a commitment on the recruiting trail. This time, however, it came before news broke of Wilson’s pending hire.

It won’t be the first time Wilson coaches at Ole Miss after previously serving on staff from 2005-07. However, his departure comes after LSU hired Lane Kiffin, who left the Rebels in very public fashion late last month.

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— Pete Golding (@CoachGolding) December 17, 2025

Wilson took over as LSU’s interim head coach after the firing of Brian Kelly, and his future was in question after Kiffin’s hiring. However, he is expected to coach the Tigers in the Texas Bowl against Houston on Dec. 27.

Wilson previously worked at Ole Miss from 2005-07 as running backs and special teams coach. He also has head coaching experience at UTSA and McNeese State before returning to LSU in 2022 as part of Kelly’s initial staff. He previously worked with the Tiger from 2010-15.

Late in the regular season, as LSU went through its coaching search before ultimately hiring Kiffin from Ole Miss, Wilson was asked about his future in Baton Rouge. He made his love for the program clear and expressed a desire to stay, should things work out.

“I love LSU and as long as LSU will have me,” Wilson said. “I would love to be a part of what we are doing here.”

Wilson’s return to Ole Miss is the latest storyline in the rivalry with LSU. He’s a key hire for Golding as he takes over for Kiffin, who will make his return to Oxford quickly in 2026. The Rebels and Tigers will square off in Week 3 at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium – what’s sure to be one of the most anticipated games of the year.

A New Orleans native, Frank Wilson played college football at Nicholls State and served a student assistant in 1996. He then coached at the charter school level at Edna Kerr and O.P. Walker in Louisiana before joining the Ole Miss staff in 2005. In 2008, he took over as the running backs coach at Southern Miss and worked alongside Kiffin in 2009 as the wide receivers coach at Tennessee.