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Well baby
CINCINNATI — A familiar face is returning to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is expected to join the Bengals in the same role, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Wednesday. The news comes days after the Fighting Irish lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
Golden, 55, spent the last three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator. Golden replaces Lou Anarumo, who held the position for the past six seasons before being fired after the Bengals missed the playoffs.
This will be Golden’s second stint on Zac Taylor’s coaching staff. Before accepting the job at Notre Dame, he served as Cincinnati’s linebackers coach during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. During those years, Golden played an integral role in leading a defense that helped the Bengals reach the Super Bowl for the first time in 33 years.
The Fighting Irish’s defense was a major reason why Notre Dame was one game away from winning its first national championship since 1988. Entering the CFP final against the Buckeyes, Notre Dame’s defense ranked fourth among Power 4 teams in points allowed per drive (1.21), according to ESPN Research.
He will be tasked with leading a Bengals defense that looks very different than it did just a few years ago. The mainstays of that Super Bowl team, including safety Jessie Bates III and defensive tackle DJ Reader, left in free agency in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Last season, Anarumo was tasked with balancing a group filled with aging veterans, injuries at key positions and inexperience at others.
Eventually, the defense figured things out during the Bengals’ five-game winning streak to close the regular season. But with Cincinnati missing the playoffs for a second straight year, Taylor opted for a personnel shakeup. Along with Anarumo, offensive line coach Frank Pollack and defensive line coach Marion Hobby were among those left out.
On Monday, Cincinnati announced Scott Peters as Pollack’s replacement and Michael McCarthy as assistant offensive line coach. Later that day, Anarumo was hired as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts.
The Bengals will need to improve a unit that finished bottom of the league in several key categories. Last season, Cincinnati was 26th in points allowed per drive, 30th in red zone defensive efficiency and 30th in first downs allowed per game, according to ESPN Research.
Cincinnati is trying to lean on star quarterback Joe Burrow and wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase as the team looks to end a two-year playoff drought. Burrow was named to his second Pro Bowl after a career year. Chase made his fourth Pro Bowl in as many NFL seasons and joined defensive end Trey Hendrickson as the team’s first All-Pro selection since 2015.
