Newsstand: Notre Dame football assistant named Power Five head coaching candidate
Syracuse needs a new head football coach. And Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is a candidate — at least, that is what two prominent college football reporters have said.
On Sunday, the Orange dismissed Dino Babers following eight seasons in New York. ESPN’s Pete Thamel and The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman each named the second-year Irish defensive coordinator as Babers’ potential replacement.
“Golden is a New Jersey native who played at Penn State and knows all about what made Syracuse a regional power,” Feldman said. “The 54-year-old Golden did a good job elevating Temple from the dustbin, winning 17 games in his final two seasons. He left for Miami but was fired after five mediocre seasons.
“He would probably be a much better fit in Central New York.”
Thamel identified Golden as an early name in a social media post.
Golden joined Notre Dame as its defensive coordinator in February 2022. He most recently served as the Cincinnati Bengals’ linebackers coach. He has been at the forefront of building one of college football’s top defenses.
Under Golden’s direction, the Irish have the No. 6 total defense (276 yards allowed per game) and No. 7 scoring unit (16 points per game). Notre Dame is also ranked second in the nation in red zone defense at 66.7%. Last year, they ranked near the bottom of the FBS in that category.
As Feldman noted, Golden was the head coach at Temple from 2006-10. He then took over Miami from 2011-15. Before taking his current position with the Irish, he was an NFL position coach for six seasons (2016-22).
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Golden is originally from Colts Neck, N.J. He attended Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic High. Syracuse is about 280 miles from where he grew up.
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Notre Dame Quote of the Weekend
“Quite frankly, I’m surprised they’ve lost three games. I think that’s one of the best teams that we’ve played.”
— Wake Forest coach Dave Clawson after Saturday’s Notre Dame game.
Notre Dame Headlines of the Weekend
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- Where ND football ranks in AP Top 25 after beating Wake Forest
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