Notre Dame to hire Al Golden as defensive coordinator

Marcus Freeman was willing to take as much time as necessary to hire the best fit to replace him as Notre Dame defensive coordinator, even if it meant prolonging the search into February.

Or if it meant waiting out the entirety of the NFL playoffs.

Freeman let the job remain open until after the Super Bowl because one of its participants had the candidate who emerged as his preferred target: Cincinnati Bengals linebackers coach Al Golden. Every Bengals playoff win pushed the timeline for interviewing and hiring Golden backward. Freeman didn’t budge on his interest or grow restless and snatch someone else.

Golden was his guy.

He’s now on board.

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Notre Dame picked Golden as its defensive coordinator Tuesday and is expected to hire him, a source confirmed to BlueandGold.com. The Athletic was first to report the news. Per an ESPN report, he has agreed to a three-year contract. He replaces Freeman, who was elevated to head coach Dec. 3. Freeman’s promotion created the first of seven openings on the Irish’s staff this offseason. The spot he vacated was the last one to be filled.

The 52-year-old Golden has spent the last six years coaching in the NFL and the last two with the Bengals. He was on the Detroit Lions’ staff from 2016-19, spending the first two seasons of his tenure as tight ends coach and the final two working with the linebackers. He’s a familiar college football name, though, because of his head-coaching stints.

Golden was Miami’s head coach from 2011-15, compiling a 32-25 record and 17-18 mark in the ACC. The Hurricanes tied for first in the ACC Coastal Division in 2012 and went 9-4 in 2013, marking his winningest season there. But a backslide began afterward. Miami went 6-7 in 2014 and fired Golden on Oct. 25, 2015, one day after a 58-0 loss to Clemson. Miami was 4-3 at the time of his dismissal.

Prior to Miami, Golden was the head coach at Temple from 2006-10. The Owls were 17-8 overall and 12-4 in Mid-American Conference games his final two seasons. They tied for first in the East Division in 2009.

Golden has not been a defensive coordinator since 2001-05 at Virginia, a 16-year gap that may as well be generations ago in the current age of potent offenses. Freeman was willing to overlook it, though, because if his stated preference held up, Golden is coming to Notre Dame to take over as the teacher of the existing framework rather than install his own defense.

“I’m going to encourage that defensive coordinator [to keep] as much as we can keep the same,” Freeman said in December. “Put it on the defensive coordinator to re-learn names and terminology, but don’t put all that stress on the players.”

He communicated the same desire to Notre Dame’s players – even the incoming freshmen and transfers who are learning something new no matter what defense is installed.

“He told me he’s looking for one of the best defensive coordinators in the country, and whoever he chooses is going to come here and run the defense similar to what they’ve done before,” said safety Brandon Joseph, who transferred to Notre Dame from Northwestern in January.

Not every coordinator, especially sitting ones with methods that have worked, would be willing to make that kind of adjustment. Enter Golden, whose current job doesn’t lend itself to rigid schematic preferences. Six years in the NFL spent coaching offense and defense also provide an advanced education in current trends on both sides.

Notre Dame didn’t initially target Golden for the job, even if he emerged as the top choice by the end. Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock interviewed in mid-January, but the two sides did not come to an agreement.

Golden is expected to coach the Notre Dame linebackers as well as run the defense – the same role Freeman held in 2021. In addition to his NFL experience at the position, Golden was Penn State’s linebackers coach in 2000 and Boston College’s from 1997-99. He started his coaching career at his alma mater, Red Bank (N.J.) Catholic High School, in 1993

Golden played tight end at Penn State from 1988-91 and spent a year with the New England Patriots in 1992. Perhaps his most memorable college play came in his new home stadium. Golden caught a game-tying touchdown in the fourth quarter of Penn State’s 24-21 upset of then-No. 1 Notre Dame on Nov. 17, 1990.

Notre Dame offseason assistant coach hires

• Defensive coordinator Al Golden (was Cincinnati Bengals’ linebackers coach)

• Running backs coach Deland McCullough (was Indiana’s running backs coach)

• Wide receivers coach Chansi Stuckey (was Baylor’s receivers coach)

• Tight ends coach Gerad Parker (was West Virginia’s co-offensive coordinator/receivers coach)

• Offensive line coach Harry Hiestand (was most recently Chicago Bears’ offensive line coach from 2018-19, was Notre Dame’s offensive line coach from 2012-17)

• Defensive line coach Al Washington (was most recently Ohio State’s linebackers coach from 2019-21)

• Special teams coordinator Brian Mason (was Cincinnati’s special teams coordinator)