Alabama’s defense allowed under 20 points per game in all but one season under Pete Golding, but it was not enough to keep him with the Crimson Tide.
He recruited well, but the defense did not have the same fire, zeal, energy, and discipline under Golding that it had with Kirby Smart and Jeremy Pruitt. Golding departed to Ole Miss after five years under Nick Saban, but the seven-time national champion has found his new coordinator. Saban returns Kevin Steele to Tuscaloosa, Ala. Steele, 64, has a wealth of defensive experience as a coordinator, position coach, and head coach.