Ole Miss DL Jared Ivey Draws Confidence From Pete Golding's 'Contagious' Personality

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Jared Ivey took some time to praise his defensive coordinator at SEC Media Days this week.

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Jared Ivey (foreground, left) takes questions from media members at SEC Media Days. / Southeastern Conference

Shark emojis have a cult following among Ole Miss fans, and that is due entirely to the efforts of defensive coordinator Pete Golding.

Whenever a commitment is incoming for the Rebels, Golding posts a lone shark emoji to X (formerly Twitter). In fact, it's rare for him to post anything other than that. The tradition started when he was at Alabama and used an elephant emoji, but every post of his since Jan. 17, 2023 has featured the shark.

That's just part of his personality, however. He's also lauded for his defensive schematics and ability to relate to his players, and that's a major point of emphasis for senior defensive lineman Jared Ivey.

At SEC Media Days this week, Ivey was asked what has attracted so many players to Ole Miss' defense this offseason, especially out of the transfer portal. In his mind, it all boils down to Golding's personality.

"If you met the cool frat dude
that everybody rocks with, [Golding] just has that vibe about him," Ivey said.
" He has a certain level of confidence that I feel like
is contagious and infectious. It makes you feel that type of
confidence."

Personality can win players over, but coaching is what puts them in a position to be successful on the field, both in college and at the next level. According to Ivey, Golding hits a home run in that category as well, and he believes his own level of play has elevated under his tutelage.

"On top of that, I think his ability to simplify such a complex
defense and such a complex game is second to none," Ivey said. "I
think that his ability to just take what he's trying to get done
schematically and explain it and bottle it up into these little
categories that he does and make it easy for us to
understand, I think, it's elite.

"It's truly a skill.
I mean, I have gotten balanced better playing for the guy."

Ivey is part of a revamped defensive front for Ole Miss this season, one that features some newcomers from the portal like Chris Hardie (Jacksonville State), Walter Nolen (Texas A&M) and Princely Umanmielen (Florida). Ivey had the opportunity to go pro after last season, but he and so many others elected to return to Ole Miss for another season in search of a College Football Playoff berth.

The Rebels will open their season at home against the FCS Furman Paladins on Aug. 31.