Report: Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden emerges as Bengals top DC candidate
Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden appears to be headed back to Cincinnati. On Monday night, after the Fighting Irish lost 34-23 to Ohio State in the national championship game, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Golden has emerged as the top candidate to become the Bengals defensive coordinator.
When asked to address the report postgame, Golden said, “Yeah, I’m sorry. I can’t even fathom thinking about anything right now other than what we just experienced.”
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Golden just finished his third year in South Bend on Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s first staff. He guided the Irish to three consecutive top-25 defenses. Before he joined Notre Dame at the start of the 2022 season, Golden spent two years as the Bengals’ linebackers coach. Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl during the 2021 season, his final one with the Bengals. Golden would replace Lou Anarumo, who Cincinnati let go after 2024.
If Golden becomes the Bengals defensive coordinator, Freeman will have to appoint his replacement. It will be the fourth time Freeman has conducted a coordinator search as an Irish head coach.
After the 2022 season, he had to fill vacancies left by offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and special teams coordinator Brian Mason. Freeman promoted tight ends coach Gerad Parker to offensive coordinator and tapped Ole Miss special teams coordinator Marty Biagi to lead Notre Dame’s unit. Biagi was a special teams analyst with the Irish in 2016.
When Parker left Notre Dame after the 2023 season to become the head coach at Troy, Freeman snagged LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Freeman worked with Denbrock at the University of Cincinnati from 2017-20.
Is Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden going to coach the Cincinnati Bengals?
On Jan. 7, one day after the Bengals fired Anarumo, Blue & Gold beat reporter Tyler Horka asked Golden about him being a candidate for the position. Golden brushed it off.
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“Look, it took us 30 years to get to this point here,” Golden said. “I’m not worried about anything else but how to stop Penn State. And I mean that.”
Horka followed up by asking Golden if the Bengals had talked to him.
“I’ve talked to nobody,” Golden said. “I can’t even get out of the facility right now. We just had the shortest week of the year.”
During national championship media day Saturday, reporters asked Golden about his interest again. Golden did not comment about a potential return to the NFL.
“I think the biggest thing right now, it’s humbling that your name is mentioned because of the team success or the success of our defense,” Golden said. “… “But at the end of the day, this is not the time or the place. This is about the kids. There’s always time to reflect on all of that after the season.”
The season has ended, and Golden will have a decision to make. If he does depart from the program, it will be the program’s fifth defensive coordinator since 2017.
