A Deep Dive Into Ole Miss DC Pete Golding's FBS Defenses' Statistical Success

Ole Miss Rebels defensive coordinator Pete Golding was brought in to overhaul a defense that has surrendered at least 400 yards of offense per game in six of the last seven seasons.

The Ole Miss Rebels' M.O. the past few years has been simple: get into track meets and outscore the opponent.

Over bettors frothed at the mouth watching Ole Miss' 52-28 and 48-34 defeats of Vanderbilt and Auburn, respectively, in 2022. However, that style of football isn't sustainable, which is why after last season's co-defensive coordinators Maurice Crum and Chris Partridge took jobs with SMU and Michigan, respectively, head coach Lane Kiffin went out and got someone with a proven track record.

Enter new defensive coordinator Pete Golding, who had previously served in the same role at Alabama for the past five seasons.

Golding began his Football Bowl Subdivision coaching career as the safeties coach at Southern Mississippi. He earned his first FBS defensive coordinator job at UTSA in 2016, also serving as its cornerbacks coach.

After a 2016 season in which the Roadrunners finished 55th and 59th in total defense and scoring defense, respectively, Golding's unit ramped it up in year two.

UTSA had a top-10 defense in 2017, allowing 287.8 yards per game and 17 points per game.

The job he did in San Antonio earned him a spot on Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban's coaching staff, originally as a co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach in 2018 before becoming lone D-coordinator on staff from 2019-22.

Despite the embarrassment of riches Golding had on those defenses, every single year in his tenure the Crimson Tide finished no worse than 32nd in total defense. Ole Miss' best total defense ranking in the past 10 seasons was 13th in 2014, but other than that the Rebels have finished outside the top 50 in eight of nine years.

The only season in Tuscaloosa, Ala., that one of Golding's defenses allowed more than 20 points per game was in 2021. However, in that same season, the Crimson Tide allowed 304.1 yards per game, which was seventh-best in the FBS and the fewest in his five-year tenure at Alabama.

Since 2014 — when the Rebels allowed the fewest points per game in the country — they have surrendered at least 22 points per contest in every year and at least 34 points in half of the eight seasons.

Golding's defenses also have a knack for creating turnovers.

Aside from last season, all six of his other defenses have forced at least 20 turnovers. The Rebels have eclipsed the 20-turnover threshold the past two seasons, but before that they hadn't done so in the previous five.

Golding helped produce Alabama inside linebackers Mack Wilson, Christian Miller and Henry To'oTo'o become NFL draftees. Good news for Ashanti Cistrunk and Khari Coleman who are both entering potentially their final years of college football.

From 2016-18 then in 2020, Ole Miss did not even have a top-100 defense. Last season was the first since 2015 that the Rebels allowed less than 400 yards per game.

With Golding's experience and coveted 4-2-5 defensive scheme, the Rebels should improve even more on its upward-trending defense.

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You can follow Casey Smith on Twitter at @casey_smith2419

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