After five seasons at Alabama that first saw him share duties for a year, and then helm the defense for the last four, Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding is heading west, to division rival Ole Miss.
During his tenure in Tuscaloosa, Golding oversaw the Tide’s transition to a 3-3-5 and 4-2-5 scheme that prioritized negative plays and getting plus-territory stops over forcing turnovers, giving up yards, or stopping nickel and dime drives. It was a less gambling approach that, when combined with Saban’s pattern matching, forced opponents to execute a full 75-yards down the field.
It usually paid off too, particularly after he finally got a roster that was built for the scheme.