Alabama Football: 3 potential candidates for next defensive coordinator

After spending the last four seasons as Alabama football’s defensive coordinator, it was officially announced Friday afternoon that Pete Golding would be departing Tuscaloosa for the same role at Ole Miss. As a result of this news, who are some potential candidates that could fill the vacant DC position for the Crimson Tide in 2023?

3 potential candidates for next Alabama football defensive coordinator

Glenn Schumann

A name who spent eight seasons at Alabama from 2008-15, Schumann has been the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach at Georgia since 2019, even recently splitting co-DC duties this past season with Will Muschamp.

As for the production that the Bulldogs have had on that side of the ball, Georgia ranked No. 5 nationally with 14.3 PPG allowed this past season, as well as No. 1 nationally in 2021 with a college football low 10.2 PPG. Georgia also ranked No. 1 nationally in 2019 with 12.6 PPG allowed, as well as No. 17 in 2020 at 20 PPG.

Over the years in Athens, Schumann has coached many of the SEC’s top inside linebackers over the years including Roquan Smith, Monty Rice, Tae Crowder, and Nakobe Dean, each of which were at-least a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.

Jeremy Pruitt

Another name that is likely very familiar to Alabama fans is that of Pruitt, who previously served as Alabama football’s defensive coordinator from 2016-17. Under Pruitt, the Crimson Tide had the nation’s No. 1 scoring defense in both seasons, allowing 13 PPG in 2016, as well as 11.9 PPG in 2017.

Pruitt has also previously served as the DC at both Florida State and Georgia in his career, while also having been at Alabama from 2007-12. Pruitt was also previously the head coach at Tennessee from 2018-20, leading the Volunteers to a 16-19 record.

Similar to Schumann, the list of star players that Pruitt has coached is certainly lengthy, with Alabama’s defenses under Pruitt being some of the best in recent Crimson Tide history.

Jim Leonhard

Rounding out this list is Leonhard, who is coming off a season in which he served as the interim head coach at Wisconsin, prior to serving as the defensive coordinator of the Badgers from 2017-22.

Under Leonhard, Wisconsin has certainly seen its’ fair share of stout defenses, which included the No. 17 ranked defense nationally in 2022 at 20.2 PPG allowed. Leonhard also led the Badgers to a 4-3 record under the interim tag this past fall, with some of his prior defenses that stand out coming in 2021, when Wisconsin ranked No. 4 nationally with an average of 16.2 PPG allowed to opponents, as well as 2017 when they ranked No. 3 at 13.9 PPG.

Other potential names to watch for: Will Muschamp, Charlie Strong, Todd Grantham, Geoff Collins