ESPN report: Alabama DC Pete Golding 'leaving' to take same position at Ole Miss

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.