TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — With Jeremy Pruitt taking the head coach position at the University of Tennessee after the College Football Playoff, Alabama’s Nick Saban has located the tenth and final position coach for his staff as he hired former University of Texas-San Antonio’s defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator, Pete Golding on Friday – according to a press release.
Saban made the hire official at Friday’s press conference, following the Crimson Tide’s first practice in preparation for the Clemson in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.
While Golding will assume responsibilities as a defensive assistant in 2018, he brings an impressive resume to Tuscaloosa.
“We are proud to have Pete and his family join our staff at Alabama,” Saban said.
“Pete is an exciting young coach, who has an outstanding reputation as both a teacher and recruiter. He will be a great fit in our organization with his knowledge of the game and his ability to relate to student-athletes. We are thrilled to welcome Pete and his family to Alabama.”
Under Golding’s leadership, the Roadrunners finished seventh in the Football Bowl Subdivision in allowing just 287.8 yards per game in 2017. It would also finish eighth in scoring defense (17.0 ppg), second in first down defense (166) and 19th in pass efficiency defense (112.19).
“I have always had an incredible admiration for the University of Alabama and the organization Coach Saban has built in Tuscaloosa,” Golding said. “Words can’t express how excited I am to have the opportunity to work for Coach Saban – it just doesn’t get any better for a defensive coach. There is such a rich tradition of success around this program, and I look forward to contributing to that success moving forward.”
Golding’s next stop on his coaching journey featured time at Southern Mississippi. He served at defensive backs coach (safeties) and helped the team improve by six wins in his second season, guiding the program to a 9-5 record and winning the Western Division of Conference USA.
He juggled duties at defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator in his time at Southeastern Louisiana (2012-13) — navigating the institution to a school-record 11 wins and its first conference (Southern) championship since 1961.
A native of Hammond, La., Golding was a defensive coordinator at his alma mater, Delta State, from 2010 to 2011 and helped the Statesmen to the 2010 NCAA Division II National Championship Game and Gulf South Conference title.
His first huge piece of coaching experience came on Tusculum staff as secondary coach, while coordinating the defense in his final two years (three seasons total).
Golding started work as a graduate assistant at Delta State in 2006, at the conclusion of his four-year career at the starting safety from 2002-05.
In hiring Golding, it seems like Saban and the Tide will bump Tosh Lupoi to defensive coordinator and have him remain at outside linebackers coach.
Noting Golding’s wealth of experience with defensive backs, the idea of moving Derrick Ansley to inside backers coach or outside backers coach (should Lupoi be moved inside) could be likely.
Nothing has been confirmed yet as Alabama is focused on Clemson, but it now has its 10th assistant coach.
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @Smsmith_TDALMag.
