Report: Alabama DC Pete Golding leaving program for Ole Miss
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding is leaving the program to take the same position at Ole Miss, according to a tweet on Friday afternoon from Chris Low with ESPN. Golding will be replacing current Rebels defensive coordinator Chris Partridge.
“Pete Golding is leaving [Alabama] to replace Chris Partridge as defensive coordinator at [Ole Miss}, sources tell ESPN. Golding has been with Nick Saban at Alabama since 2018, the last four seasons as defensive coordinator,” Low said in the tweet.
**Get in on the Golding conversation over on the Talk of Champions message board**
Golding has been at Alabama ever since the 2018 season after a two-year stint as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at UT-San Antonio. He originally came over as a position coach with the inside linebackers, but rumors at the time suggested that he ended up with play-calling duties while sharing more of a co-defensive coordinator role with then Alabama assistant Tosh Lupoi.
Lupoi left for the NFL at the end of the 2018 season, which allowed Golding to become Alabama’s full-time defensive coordinator in 2019. He’s held that role for each of the last four seasons with mixed results — at least for Alabama standards.
In 2022, the Crimson Tide ranked No. 13 in total defense, allowing 318.2 yards per game.
They also tied for No. 9 in scoring defense, giving up 18.2 points per game. The pass defense didn’t look terrible on paper (No. 17, 187.8 yards per game), but there were times — 385 yards, 12.8 yards per attempt and five scores against Tennessee — where it struggled.
The run defense was worse though.
Opponents averaged 130.38 yards on the ground against Alabama, which ranked No. 35 in the country. But at the same time, here are some of the rougher performances this season:
- Arkansas (187 yards, 2 TDs)
- Tennessee (182 yards, 2 TDs)
- LSU (185 yards, 2 TDs)
- Ole Miss (191 yards, 2 TDs)
- Auburn (318 yards, 2 TDs)
- Kansas State (191 yards, 2 TDs)
In a lot of instances, that allowed opposing passing attacks to open up and also allowed opponents to control the game.
Watch Kyle Henderson and Jimmy Stein discuss the breaking news over on YouTube!
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