Initial Hot Board for Alabama Defensive Coordinator: All Things CW

Nick Saban may not have to look very far to find a replacement for Pete Golding as the Crimson Tide's defensive coordinator.

The All Things CW notes column by Christopher Walsh appears in five parts each week, with the latest on the Alabama Crimson Tide. This is ...

Take 1

After the rumor was finally confirmed, that the Alabama Crimson Tide would have a new defensive coordinator, Ole Miss couldn't announce the addition of Pete Golding fast enough. 

Rebels head coach, and former Alabama offensive coordinator, Lane Kiffin called him a "championship-caliber coach," on Saturday: "I think this continues to show our commitment to taking Ole Miss Football to the next level."

The 2022 Alabama defense ranked ninth in scoring defense (18.2 points per game) and 13th in total defense (318.2 yards). The Crimson Tide allowed just 4.6 yards per play last season, which led the SEC and was No. 4 nationally.

That's the initial benchmark his successor will try and top.  

What made Golding different for Nick Saban was that when hired he was someone from completely outside of the organization, with no previous ties to the coach. 

Saban usually prefers his coordinators to have both college and pro experience, but he's made exceptions and gone younger with the last couple of hires defensively, promoting Tosh Lupoi for a season and then Golding.

Prior to Alabama, Golding coached defensive backs and handled defensive coordinator duties at the University of Texas-San Antonio in 2016 and 2017. Golding's 2017 defense at UTSA ranked seventh in the FBS, allowing just 287.8 yards per game. The Roadrunners finished eighth in scoring defense (17.0 points per game),  and 19th in pass efficiency defense (112.19).

He had previously worked as the defensive backs coach at Southern Miss (2014-15), as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Southeastern Louisiana 2012-13), as the defensive coordinator at his alma mater Delta State (2010- 11), and at Division II Tusculum. 

Saban's other defensive coordinators at Alabama have been Kevin Steele, Jeremy Pruitt and Kirby Smart.

With Saban on the record about getting back to the "Alabama standard" of doing things, the initial BamaCentral hot board focusses more on the familiarity factor as the he may not have to go far for a replacement. 

Todd Grantham 

Grantham, 56, spent last season working as an analyst for the Crimson Tide. His first college job was at Virginia Tech in 1990, and he also worked for Saban at Michigan State (1996-98) as defensive line coach, with the title of assistant head coach tacked on for a season. 

He has NFL experience with four teams, including as the defensive coordinator of the Browns under Romeo Crennel. He's since been at Georgia (2010-13), Louisville (2014-16), Mississippi State (2017), and then followed Dan Mullen to Florida (2018-21). 

Jim Leonhard

Leonhard went from being a walk-on at Wisconsin, to three-time All-American defensive back/returner, to playing 10 years in the NFL (after not being drafted). He quickly rose as a coach at his alma mater, and was named the interim head coach after Paul Chryst was last October. 

He was initially hired to be the Badgers' defensive backs coach in 2016, but a year later was promoted to defensive coordinator and was named a Broyles Award finalist as assistant coach of the year.  

In Leonhard's five seasons as defensive coordinator, Wisconsin ranked among the nation's top five in total defense and top-10 in scoring defense four times. The Badgers also forced 112 turnovers over that span, tied for fourth-most among Power Five Conference teams.

Leonhard's never worked in the SEC, so there's no pre-existing recruiting base.  

Jeremy Pruitt 

He's done the job before, and Alabama led the nation in total defense with Pruitt as the coordinator in 2016-17,  but now there's obviously some baggage due to his head coaching time at Tennessee.  

Pruitt was fired on Jan. 18, 2021, after an internal investigation found evidence of recruiting violations. The NCAA has charged Tennessee with 18 Level I alleged rules violations for impermissible recruiting benefits of approximately $60,000 (before NIL rules were passed). 

It's assumed that Pruitt could be looking at a show-cause order, but there's no timetable for when the NCAA might hear the case. Moreover, the whole thing could be going to court, especially since Tennessee has refused to pay his buyout of $12.6 million because the university fired him for cause. 

Pruitt is from the state, and he played for the Crimson Tide under Gene Stallings. His coaching career also started at Alabama under Saban, as the director of player development (2007-09) and then defensive backs coach (2010-12). 

Unlike the other candidates, Pruitt might be an option as a position coach, or even analyst, until there's more of a resolution with his ongoing issues.

Glenn Schumann 

This may be the name to watch, and there's a lot of buzz about. 

Schumann, 32, is the co-defensive coordinator at Georgia, and was the first person Kirby Smart asked to go with him to Georgia, later saying Schumann "“was my right-hand for four or five years over there.”

But Schumann is an Alabama graduate who started his coaching career as a student assistant (2008-11) and then graduate assistant (2011-14) under Saban.In 2014, he became the director of football operations. 

He's been the co-defensive coordinator at Georgia since 2019, sharing the title this past season with Will Muschamp. Schumann calls the plays, though. 

Both make $800,000 annually, which combined was roughly what Dan Lanning made ($1.7 million) before becoming the head coach at Oregon). Moreover, offensive coordinator Todd Monken's salary is $2 million, so something may have to give there. 

The hot board will be updated as necessary 

See Also:

Defensive Coordinator Pete Golding is Leaving Alabama

Why Bears Having First Pick Makes it More Likely Bryce Young Goes No. 1: All Things CW

The Week That Was for the Alabama Crimson Tide