NickSaban has to rent a brand new coach to run Alabama soccer’s protection.
Pete Golding is anticipated to move to Ole Miss, the place he will fill the identical position as defensive coordinator for Lane Kiffin. Golding joined Saban’s employees as co-defensive coordinator in 2018 and has served because the defensive coordinator since 2019.
Whoever Saban hires to replace Golding will be the sixth defensive coordinator since Saban’s tenure in Tuscaloosa started in 2007. Tosh Lupoi, Jeremy Pruitt, Kirby Smart and Kevin Steele have been the others.
Some coached for Saban earlier than they turned his prime defensive coach. Steele did not. however Smart had been a defensive assistant at LSU and with the Miami Dolphins underneath Saban in addition to one season at Alabama. Pruitt and Lupoi additionally labored as defensive place coaches at one level for Alabama earlier than returning to his employees to be a defensive coordinator.
Golding had not coached for Saban earlier than he was co-defensive coordinator.
“He’s achieved an excellent job with the personnel that we’ve,” Saban mentioned of Golding this fall. “I simply actually respect the actually good job that he is achieved. I feel he is made actually optimistic steps yearly since he is been right here. I really like hiring youthful guys like that and letting them develop and develop within the group. He’s definitely achieved a implausible job of that.”
Does Saban go the route of hiring a younger defensive coordinator once more? Or does he appear like a veteran? And does that coach have prior expertise working for Saban? Or will it’s somebody who hasn’t labored for Saban earlier than?
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Here are just a few candidates Alabama may take into account for the defensive coordinator opening.
Glenn Schumann, Georgia co-defensive coordinator
He’s been the co-defensive coordinator for the Bulldogs since February 2019, successful two nationwide championships. Before that, Schumann coached Georgia’s inside linebackers. But he is bought no scarcity of Alabama connections for this rent to make sense.
He bought his bachelor’s diploma from UA in 2011 and grasp’s in 2013. Working underneath Saban, Schumann was an undergraduate analyst (2008-11) a graduate assistant (2011-14) and director of participant growth/affiliate director of participant personnel (2014- 15) earlier than he went with Kirby Smart to Athens.
Schumman is on the youthful facet. He was born March 29, 1990, so he would not flip 33 till March. He would match underneath the class of Saban hiring youthful guys who he can let develop and develop within the group.
Todd Grantham, Alabama analyst
Another veteran teaching possibility, and he is within the constructing.
He labored for Saban at Michigan State as a defensive position coach and assistant head coach. Since then, Grantham has been a place coach for the Houston Texans and Dallas Cowboys in addition to defensive coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, Georgia Bulldogs, Louisville Cardinals, Mississippi State Bulldogs and Florida Gators.
If Saban needs at hand the reins of the protection to an skilled coordinator, it is laborious to seek out one with a extra in depth resume than Grantham. And he is simply down the corridor.
Jeremy Pruitt, former Tennessee coach/Giants assistant
Based on defensive coordinator expertise alone, Pruitt can be an important rent. He proved as a lot when he was Alabama’s defensive coordinator from 2016-17. He additionally hung out as a defensive backs coach and director of participant growth underneath Saban.
Where this will get sophisticated is in relation to his NCAA recruiting violations when he was coach of the Tennessee Volunteers. Tennessee fired him for trigger on Jan. 18, 2020, and two years later, the case remains to be unresolved.
During his time at Tennessee, Pruitt, his spouse Casey Pruitt and different employees are alleged by the NCAA to have dedicated 18 Level 1 violations from 2018-21, that are essentially the most severe within the four-tier system.
What may get in the way in which of Pruitt being employed in faculty soccer is the potential of a show-cause order. The NCAA really helpful 5 instances “a listening to panel may enter a show-cause order” in opposition to Pruitt within the discover of allegations.
He must be included right here as a result of, purely as a coach, he would make loads of sense. But there are complicating elements that might get in the way in which of this reunion.
Jim Leonhard, former Wisconsin defensive coordinator
Leonhard is a former defensive again who has been on Wisconsin’s employees since 2016. He was named the interim head coach when Paul Chryst was fired halfway by way of the 2022 season. The Badgers completed 5-3 underneath Leonhard’s management. He introduced earlier than the bowl sport that he wouldn’t be returning to work for coach Luke Fickell, who was employed from Cincinnati.
Leonhard additionally served as Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator throughout that point. This previous season, the Badgers had the No. 17 scoring protection, permitting 20.23 factors per sport. Alabama was No. 9, giving up 18.15 factors per sport.
Leonhard has served within the defensive coordinator/safeties position the previous two seasons. From 2017-20, he was the defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach. He joined the Wisconsin employees as defensive backs coach in 2016.
Before he turned a coach, Leonhard performed 10 seasons within the NFL for groups such because the Jets, Bills and Ravens.
If Saban needs so as to add a coordinator who’s in the marketplace who has Power Five expertise, Leonhard can be a superb possibility.
Kevin Steele, Miami defensive coordinator
If Saban needs a veteran he is aware of properly who additionally is aware of the SEC properly, Steele can be a superb possibility.
He was Alabama’s defensive coordinator in Saban’s first season, and since then he is been defensive coordinator for Clemson, LSU, Auburn and now Miami. Steele was on Alabama’s employees from 2013-14, too, as director of participant personnel and linebackers coach. He even has interim head teaching expertise at Auburn and Tennessee.
There’s not a lot projection concerned with Steele. Saban is aware of what he can be getting. It’s only a query of whether or not Saban would need him again and if Steele would need to go away Miami.
Wes Neighbors, Maryland safeties coach
He would not have coordinator expertise, however Saban could be very accustomed to him. If the Alabama coach thinks Neighbors has a excessive ceiling as a coach, he could possibly be thought of. Like Saban mentioned about Golding, he likes hiring youthful guys and letting them develop and develop.
Neighbors has been a place coach for Maryland, Louisiana, South Florida and Florida Atlantic.
Before that, Neighbors labored as a defensive graduate assistant from 2014-15 on Saban’s employees after which turned a defensive analyst after that. He’s an Alabama graduate who performed for the Crimson Tide from 2008-11.
Neighbors would not have confirmed defensive coordinator chops, however he could possibly be price a search for Saban.
Phil Parker, Iowa defensive coordinator
Parker won’t need to go away his job operating Iowa’s protection, which he has held for a decade. Still, he can be price a name if Saban needs to usher in a veteran coach.
This season, the Hawkeyes surrendered 13.31 factors per sport, ranked No. 2 within the nation. Alabama was No. 9, giving up 18.15 factors per sport.
A 12 months in the past, Iowa had the No. 13 scoring protection. Alabama was No. 18 in 2021.
There’s additionally a Saban connection for Parker. He performed for Saban in faculty at Michigan State when Saban was defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Then Parker turned a graduate assistant for a season with the Spartans. Parker additionally served as Saban’s defensive backs coach in 1990 at Toledo.
After leaving Toledo after 1998, Parker joined the Hawkeyes and has been there ever since.
Would he take into account leaving to reunite with Saban? Maybe not. Still, Alabama may afford to bump his wage. If Golding would have stayed by way of February, he would have made $1.73 million in base wage and completion profit. Parker was reportedly set to make $1.3 million this season.
Doug Belk, Houston defensive coordinator
He checks the field as somebody who has been on Saban’s employees at one level. Belk served as a graduate assistant working with cornerbacks from 2014-16 underneath Saban. Since then, he has coached the corners at West Virginia earlier than going to Houston the place he has served as co-defensive coordinator, affiliate head coach and now defensive coordinator the previous two seasons.
He’s one other youthful coach with whom Saban is acquainted and will have potential as a coordinator.
Nick Kelly covers Alabama soccer and males’s basketball for The Tuscaloosa News/USA TODAY Network. Reach him through e-mail: nkelly@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly.