Pete Golding’s Family: All About the Ole Miss Coach’s Wife and Kids

Ole Miss is a family affair for Pete Golding.

In November 2025, Pete was named the new head football coach of the Ole Miss Rebels, and joined his wife, Carolyn Golding, who is an alumna of the university and now an adjunct faculty member there.

Before becoming part of the Ole Miss staff, Pete was the defensive coordinator for the Alabama Crimson Tide. His family later influenced his decision to move his career to Mississippi.

“You get so locked in sometimes to a career, then you’re focused on the next step,” Pete said in August 2023, according to Saturday Down South. “When you’re married and you’ve got three kids, sometimes you lose the value of what you’re really about.”

“I enjoyed where I was at, this is strictly based on trying to be a better husband and father,” he added.

As Ole Miss goes up against the Miami Hurricanes at the NCAA College Football Playoffs (CFP), here’s everything to know about Pete Golding’s family.

Pete met his wife in Cleveland

Pete first crossed paths with Carolyn in her hometown of Cleveland, Miss., where he attended Delta State University and played on the college football team, according to the University of Mississippi website.

Pete and Carolyn’s wedding date has not been confirmed, but in October 2014, Carolyn commemorated three years of marriage on social media.

“Happy Anniversary to us!!! Best three years thus far and to many more! Love you so :),” she wrote on X, which linked out to an Instagram post.

Carolyn attended Ole Miss and is now a professor at the school

Carolyn graduated from Ole Miss in 2007, and she is now a member of the faculty at the university.

She has multiple degrees from Ole Miss, including a bachelor of accountancy, a master of tax and a doctorate from the law school, per the school’s website.

Carolyn’s teaching career began in 2015 at the University of Southern Mississippi. She also taught at the University of Texas-San Antonio before returning to her alma mater as an adjunct instructor at the Patterson School of Accountancy.

Prior to teaching, Carolyn worked at accounting firms, and recalled how she “always excelled in math and numbers.”

“When I was little, I played Monopoly a lot and I always wanted to be the banker to control the money,” she said. “I think I’ve just been inclined to be in accounting since childhood.”

Pete and Carolyn have three children

Pete and Carolyn are parents to three kids: sons Braxton and Bentley, and daughter Bailey.

The couple are raising their children mostly outside of the spotlight, although they have previously shared occasional glimpses of them. In January 2021, Carolyn posted photos on X of their sons at the CFP.

More recently, Braxton and Bentley appeared alongside their dad at the first round of the CFP when Ole Miss beat Tulane Green Wave in December 2025, according to CBS Sports.

Pete’s kids enjoy Ole Miss game day traditions

Pete’s children enjoy Ole Miss game day traditions, including seeing fire extinguishers shoot off on the sidelines, something Pete’s middle child, Bentley, was eager to do, according to The Clarion-Ledger.

Pete and Carolyn donated $100,000 to Ole Miss in 2024

In 2024, Pete and Carolyn donated $100,000 to the Patterson School Building Fund during the Ole Miss annual Giving Day.

In honor of the generous gift, Ole Miss said an adjunct professor suite in Patterson School of Accountancy’s new building will be named for Carolyn’s family.