As we hit the midpoint of the 2020 SEC season, Touchdown Alabama Magazine will be releasing a series of grade reports of every position group and key coaches on the staff. In these articles, we will dive into the contributions each unit has made to the team thus far and provide a sufficient grade based on its performance to this point in the year.
RELATED: Alabama football midseason position grades: Linebackers
In breaking down the fifth part of midseason grades, we look at our first coach in Pete Golding.
Defensive Coordinator
-Pete Golding
Overall Grade: C
Analysis
After suffering injuries at critical positions last year, the majority of Alabama fans were willing to give Pete Golding a pass in his first season as head defensive coordinator. When the Crimson Tide could not control running backs out the backfield versus Missouri and Texas A&M, people had some concerns yet not too much. However, the matchup between Alabama and Ole Miss had supporters of the program ready to push Golding out the door. Although Lane Kiffin coached under Nick Saban for three years (2014-16) and schemed against the defense in practice, Tide fans still expected more from this year’s group.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
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 @CoachingMSmith.
