At just 22 years old, after just one semester as a graduate assistant, Pete Golding was named defensive coordinator at Tusculum College, a Division II program in Tennessee.
From there, Golding went on climb the ladder and was hired to call the defenses at his alma mater - Delta State (D-II - MS), and then Southeastern Louisiana (FCS) before breaking into major college football as the defensive backs coach at Southern Miss in 2014-15. Golding didn't have to wait long before he got the call for his first FBS coordinator gig under Frank Wilson at UTSA in 2016-17.
By that time, Golding was already on Nick Saban's radar as a fast-rising, high quality assistant coach and recruiter with a special defensive mind. In 2018, Saban lured Golding to the Alabama staff and gave him the title of co-defensive coordinator / inside linebackers coach.
So how does someone like Golding make the rapid rise from player, to graduate assistant, to defensive coordinator, to FBS assistant, to coordinator on a national title contender in just over a decade?
Well for one, Golding shares that he's never been the type of guy to work the phones in anticipation of his next coaching stop. Here he explains what helped him rise through the ranks and get on Saban's short list of assistant coaches.
"I've never looked at where I was at, or where I was trying to go. My old man was a high school football coach for a long time and whatever I was going to do, I was all-in where I was at."
"I've never called another guy for a job, I've never called agents or done any of that other B.S. I'm here to coach football. Regardless of where that is at, I just like coaching football."
"I keep my head down. I do what I'm supposed to do. I try to be the best coach that I can and develop my position and affect the people around me. Find new ways of doing things and stay on the cutting edge...but I'm not worried about the next job. Whether I'm at Tusculum or Alabama, the preparation and how I coach the players is going to be exactly the same."
Hear more from Golding in the clip.