Ole Miss head coach Pete Golding had plenty to say at SEC Media Days on Wednesday while going on a two-minute rant regarding tampering.

As you know, on Jan. 23, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney publicly accused Golding of “blatant” tampering with transfer linebacker Luke Ferrelli. Clemson turned over evidence to the NCAA, alleging that Golding contacted and negotiated with Ferrelli while he was already enrolled and attending classes at Clemson.

Ferrelli signed with the Tigers during the portal window, was attending class and taking part in team activities. Swinney says that is when Golding started texting the linebacker directly. With just hours remaining in the portal window, Ferrelli informed Clemson he was heading to Ole Miss.

According to a report from ESPN, the NCAA opened an investigation of the Ole Miss football program the same day that Swinney accused Golding of tampering with Ferrelli.

At SEC Media Days, Golding deflected a specific question about the ongoing NCAA investigation stemming from Clemson’s accusations, and his feelings about tampering.

“I don’t get into feelings, to be honest with you. We’ve got a compliance department, and they get paid to do their job,” Golding said. “They do a really good job. So, it’s our responsibility to recruit really good players, right, coach them extremely hard and get them ready to win football games. We’re going to continue to recruit really good players, both in the high school market and in the portal market, and we’ll continue to do it how we’ve done it.”

However, Golding went off script while answering a question about how he would fix tampering, or if it’s something that can’t be fixed in the current environment. During his rant, Golding described the current system as “broken.” He also called out hypocrisy across college football, saying athletic directors who complain about portal tampering are the same people pursuing coaches for open jobs mid-season.

“The model obviously has been broken,” Golding said, “and I’m all for everybody being on the same playing field and doing the same things. I get it, but I think that’s in any job. Coaches, we’re under contract — you don’t think other ADs are calling us during the year? Same ones that are bitching about all this stuff are the same ones calling coaches to come to other schools. It’s everywhere, it’s in every profession. So I’m not saying I’ve got all the answers.”

Golding then compared tampering to driving on the interstate and speeding to keep pace.

“When you’re on the interstate and people are flying by you, what do you start doing? [Speed up.] Damn right, or you’re gonna get hit. In this profession, you’re gonna get fired,” Golding said.

Golding says the design of the transfer portal puts players and coaches into difficult positions.

“Let me put it to you this way. You’re a reporter, right? Would you quit your job before interviewing for another job or being offered another job? No, nobody would. But we have a portal that you can go in with a do-not-contact [tag]. I’m going to quit my job, where I’m getting paid, and I’m going to go in saying I need a new job, in which nobody can call me to interview?” Golding said.

“What have we created? We’ve created, on top of representation for these players, it’s their responsibility to make sure they get paid really well and they also have opportunities. So by design, it’s put a lot of people in bad positions.”

Golding appeared to defend his program’s aggressive recruiting tactics by bringing up the historical integrity, or lack thereof, of college football recruiting as a whole.

“Let’s not act like recruiting in college football for the last 100 years is the most moral thing that’s ever existed,” Golding said. “What are we talking about here?”

Back in March, Golding – who is entering his first full season as Ole Miss’s head coach — reacted to Swinney’s tampering accusations for the first time, saying, “There’s two sides to every story.”

“I’m not going to sit up here and use the podium as a grandstand and all of that,” Golding said. “That’s why there is enforcement. That’s why we have our compliance office. They do all that.”

Swinney was asked at the ACC Kickoff last week if he has heard from the NCAA on the Ferrelli tampering case. Swinney said he has not heard anything from the NCAA.

“I did my part,” he said. “The NCAA does not give us an update, so I have no idea.”