Pete Golding’s Alabama replacement could weaken a major rival
By John Buhler
Pete Golding is leaving Alabama for Ole Miss, but Nick Saban may have an ace up his sleeve…
Though Alabama fans are ecstatic over defensive coordinator Pete Golding leaving for the Ole Miss gig, they might be even happier if Nick Saban is going big game hunting this offseason.
While ESPN’s Chris Low was the first to report Golding’s Tuscaloosa departure for Oxford, Bruce Feldman of The Athletic and FOX followed up with Alabama potentially being able to pry defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann away from Georgia. Although Schumann has been with Kirby Smart every step of the way in Athens since 2016, keep in mind that Alabama is his beloved alma mater.
Schumann first broke into coaching as an undergrad on Saban’s Crimson Tide staff back in 2008.
Pete Golding is leaving @AlabamaFTBL to replace Chris Partridge as defensive coordinator at @OleMissFB, sources tell ESPN. Golding has been with Nick Saban at Alabama since 2018, the last four seasons as defensive coordinator.
— Chris Low (@ClowESPN) January 13, 2023
This might be seen as a lateral move of sorts, but Schumann is a rising star as a college coach.
One name to watch at Alabama as Nick Saban tries to find the Tide's new DC is Georgia Co-DC Glenn Schumann, a rising star in the business. The 32-year-old Bama grad broke into coaching as a student assistant and then spent four years as a Alabama GA under Saban. https://t.co/sYRWJJZ8l5
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) January 13, 2023
Even if Schumann were to go back to Tuscaloosa, Smart has his former college teammate Will Muschamp around for the foreseeable future to coordinate his championship-level defense.
Pete Golding leaves Alabama for Ole Miss: Could Glenn Schumann replace him?
Other candidates to replace Golding include former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt and former Wisconsin interim head coach Jim Leonhard. Pruitt may have been ousted at Tennessee embarrassingly, but not only was he a strong coordinator before at Alabama, Georgia and Florida State, he is an Alabama alum himself. Of course, the man did not know what asparagus was … so…
Leonhard is a candidate to be a coordinator both at the college and professional level. While he got a trial run leading his alma mater, Wisconsin opted to go with former Cincinnati head coach Luke Fickell instead. Leonhard has NFL ties, but certainly has the cachet to coordinate at any major program like Alabama if he so chooses. Then again, Tuscaloosa is a very long way from Madison…
Overall, Schumann is about to get a big bump in pay. He may decide to stay in Athens and wait for a head-coaching gig to open up. He would be the fourth Smart assistant to lead his own team after Mel Tucker (Colorado, Michigan State), Sam Pittman (Arkansas) and Dan Lanning (Oregon). People will try to poach top assistants from Georgia. Schumann back to Alabama is not shocking.
How Smart responds to players and coaches leaving will decided if Georgia can really three-peat.
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