During the decade-long stretch in which either Kirby Smart or Jeremy Pruitt coordinated Alabama's defense, there was not a more consistent and imposing entity in college football.
The Crimson Tide's national championship teams in 2009, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2017 certainly reflect that.
It has been a different story the past two seasons as inconsistencies have surfaced, which has resulted in Alabama surrendering more than 40 points on three occasions during its past 14 games dating to the 44-16 loss to Clemson in the championship game of the 2018 season. The Tide went 11-2 last season but missed out on the College Football Playoff for the first time, with a 46-41 loss to LSU and a 48-45 setback at Auburn keeping them from their usual postseason perch.
"We obviously have a chip on our shoulder," Alabama second-year defensive coordinator Pete Golding said this week on a Zoom call. "We know the tradition of defense here and the expectation here, and we're ready to live up to it."
Alabama's recent losses to LSU and Clemson certainly can be attributed to the stellar opposing quarterbacks - Joe Burrow and Trevor Lawrence - the Tide had to face, and last November's Iron Bowl loss did include two Mac Jones interceptions that Auburn returned for touchdowns. Golding was Alabama's inside linebackers coach in 2018, when Tosh Lupoi was in his lone season as defensive coordinator before exiting to become defensive line coach for the NFL's Cleveland Browns, with Golding ascending to his current role last year.
Golding's first August camp as coordinator was a disaster beyond his control, as starting inside linebackers Dylan Moses and Joshua McMillon suffered season-ending ACL injuries. That resulted in the Tide having to start true freshmen Christian Harris and Shane Lee, but Golding isn't into excuses, nor does he shy from the criticism that has come his way.
"I took this job because I wanted to coach the best defense in the country," Golding said. "That's the expectation at this place, and I don't want anything different. I've got to do a better job of getting them prepared, getting these guys knowing what to do and playing fast."
Golding insists he has "open ears" heading a staff that includes safeties coach Charles Kelly, cornerbacks coach Karl Scott and outside linebackers coach Sal Sunseri. It also includes a pair of defensive analysts, Mike Stoops (Arizona) and Charlie Strong (Louisville and Texas), who are former head coaches at Power Five programs.
Alabama's lone new assistant is defensive line coach Freddie Roach, the former Tide linebacker who was a second-team All-Southeastern Conference selection in 2005.
"Being younger, the kids relate to him more, but it's not a buddy system," Golding said. "Freddie gets on their (butt)."
The Tide will enter this season with a potential All-American at every defensive level - redshirt junior defensive end LaBryan Ray, Moses and junior cornerback Patrick Surtain II. Surtain is widely viewed as a top-10 pick in the 2021 NFL draft.
Golding singled out redshirt sophomore defensive end Christian Barmore this week as an elite talent and believes he has two veteran outside linebackers, fifth-year senior Ben Davis and redshirt junior Christopher Allen, who are emerging after battling their share of setbacks since arriving in Tuscaloosa.
Revamping a secondary after not having the benefit of a single spring practice may be Golding's chief chore, but he likes what he has seen the last several months out of the multitude of Zoom meetings.
"I think we're more ahead from a mental standpoint than we've ever been," Golding said.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524. Follow him on Twitter @DavidSPaschall.