Bruce Feldman: Georgia co-DC Glenn Schumann is 'name to watch' for open Alabama DC gig

Pete Golding, the Alabama defensive coordinator since 2018, is leaving to take the same role at Ole Miss, according to a number of reports on Friday. Already, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman has highlighted one name to keep an eye on to fill the open role in Tuscaloosa: Georgia co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann.

Schumann has been the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Georgia since 2019. He joined the staff in 2016 solely to coach inside linebackers and then got the title bump. Schumann is only 32 years old.

Schumann has worked alongside Dan Lanning — a former Georgia DC who just finished his first season as the Oregon head coach — and currently serves as co-DC alongside Will Muschamp. He came to Georgia from Alabama, where he got his coaching start under Nick Saban.

Schumann was an undergraduate analyst at Alabama for four years at the beginning of Saban’s tenure, from 2008-11. Then he served as a graduate assistant coach from 2011-14. He was bumped to the role of director of player development and associate director of player personnel at Alabama, a job he held for two years in 2014 and 2015.

Originally poached from Saban and Alabama by Smart, it appears Schumann might now get brought back to Alabama after a stint with the Bulldogs, the current top dogs in the sport.

Golding left Alabama to take the same position at Ole Miss, per ESPN

Ole Miss has hired Alabama defensive coordinator Pete Golding to the same position on the Rebels coaching staff, according to ESPN’s Chris Low. Golding served as defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Alabama since 2018.

Before Alabama, Golding had been a defensive assistant at a number of stops. He started at Delta State as a graduate assistant before a brief stint as the DC and defensive backs coach as Tusculum College. He then returned to Delta State as DC and DBs coach. From there Golding went to Southeast Louisiana, then Southern Miss and finally UTSA before getting hired to Alabama.

Under Golding, the Alabama defense was consistently among the top outfits in the nation in terms of total defense. However, in 2022, the Crimson Tide defense was struck by uncharacteristic issues, particularly giving up big plays on the back end of the defense.

Still, Alabama finished 13th nationally in total defense in 2022, giving up fewer than 320 yards per game. The Crimson Tide only gave up more than 20 points five times in 2022; five opponents also were shutout or only scored once.

But bad showings against Tennessee (52 points allowed) and LSU (32 points allowed), both losses, and a 30-24 escape against Ole Miss where a last-second heave from the Rebels fell short, were uncharacteristic outings for Alabama.

But middling results at Alabama can equal improvements elsewhere. The Ole Miss defense started 2022 hot but tailed off and finished ranked 75th nationally in total defense and 57th in scoring defense. Across the five losses Ole Miss experience in 2022, they surrendered an average of 36.6 points.

In wins Ole Miss gave up, on average, 19 points.

Now, Golding is going to work under Lane Kiffin, another former Nick Saban coordinator, and will try to unseat their former boss — and others — to win an SEC West title.