Notre Dame DC Al Golden returns to the Cincinnati Bengals after three seasons

In the wake of Notre Dame’s valiant run to the national title, which culminated Monday night in Atlanta, a normally pragmatic conference Al Golden let your emotions flow.

On what would have been possible in the 34-23 loss to Ohio State at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, his three-year journey and the growth he’s seen as a head coach Marcus Freemanin the promising future of the Irish in which he seems so firmly to believe.

Even if it will be without him.

As speculated and highly anticipated heading into the CFP national championship game, Golden, 55, will be the next defensive coordinator for the NFL’s Cincinnati Bengals. ESPN Pete Thamel was the first to announce the news.

The Bengals were the team from which Freeman hired Golden in 2022 after Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl in February 2022. In Cincinnati, Golden will reunite with the Bengals’ head coach. Zac Taylorwho hired the former Penn State tight end in 2020 to coach the Cincinnati franchise’s linebackers.

The Colts Neck, New Jersey, native spent two years with the Bengals and six in the NFL after being fired midway through his fifth season as head coach of the Miami (Fla.) Hurricanes.

Notre Dame (14-2 in 2024) is scheduled to open the 2025 season against Golden’s former team at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Aug. 30.

The current Irish defensive backs coach is a strong candidate to be ND’s defensive coordinator that day against the Hurricanes. Mike Mickens. The 37-year-old University of Cincinnati graduate and former standout cornerback just completed his fifth season coaching at ND.

And while Mickens would have his own schematic adjustments, it would appear to be a continuation of what Notre Dame currently is defensively rather than a makeover.

The Irish finished 11th nationally in total defense, just half a yard per game outside the top 10, and tied for fourth in defense. And after never finishing first in pass defense efficiency, the Irish have now done so two seasons in a row.

In Monday night’s game, Ohio State shredded that defense to the tune of 31-7 midway through the third quarter. And then Golden started to find answers, and so did the Irish offense.

But when Jaden’s Big House scored on a 30-yard pass from Riley Leonard and the Irish added a two-point conversion with 4:15 left, it was a one score game – 31-23.

“I just think our kids kept fighting,” Golden said. “You can’t say anything if the kids don’t keep fighting. The children continued to fight. It’s in their DNA. They don’t know any other way, and then they start feeding on each other.

“The offense makes a play, then we make a play. The offense goes down and scores, and the next thing you know, you have a chance. That’s the only thing I can tell you, being on the sidelines, being with these kids, you always feel like you have a chance.

“So I feel bad that I didn’t put them in position a few more times to give them an opportunity to win.”

But everything is good about the direction that the Notre-Dame program is taking, according to him.

“It’s not a team or a culture that was – how do you say it? – it was not store bought,” Golden said Monday evening. “It was from the ground up. And it is built of bricks. It is built with mortar. And it’s built to last. It is built for the long term. It’s culture, and it’s the most important thing.

“When Coach Freeman identifies recruits and recruit families, it’s about who fits our culture and who is going to add and contribute to the culture, the community and the team and I think that is what I see.

“That’s the biggest strength of the program right now, is just that it’s become a culture. It has become a way of life and a way of doing things. And, like I said, he built it the right way, and it’s built to last. It’s built for racing.