We've been hearing whispers for some time that Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden would be leaving Notre Dame. Today, that news became official.
Photo by The Irish Tribune
Over the course of the season, and especially during Notre Dame's playoff run, it had been rumored that Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden might return to the NFL to fill coaching vacancies that had been opening up toward the end of the NFL regular season. Golden, a former Linebacker coach for the Cincinnati Bengals, will return to the same franchise with a promotion after his tenure with the Irish.
Golden began his football career at Penn State, where he played as a tight end from 1988-1991. Following his career with the Nittany Lions, he would have a quick stint in the NFL before beginning his coaching career in 1993 as the offensive coordinator for Red Bank Catholic High School in New Jersey. He would land a graduate assistant position the following year at Virginia before earning his first positional coaching job at Boston College in 1997 as a Linebacker coach. After returning to his alma mater in 2000 for the same position, Golden would land his first defensive coordinator position in 2001 at Virginia, where he coached until 2005. Eventually, Golden would land his first head coaching job at Temple, going 1-11 in his first season at the helm. The Owls would see steady improvement under Golden over the next 5 years, culminating in 8-4 season in 2010, and a MAC Coach of the Year award in 2009. Golden would be hired by the Miami Hurricanes in 2011, but ultimately failed to see the same success he saw with the Owls. Golden would be fired after 5 seasons with the Hurricanes, going 32-35 over that span.
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Al Golden would return to the NFL as a positional coach from 2016 to 2021 before being hired by Marcus Freeman to lead his defense in 2022. During his three seasons at Notre Dame, Al Golden ran one of the most prolific defenses in college football. The defense would improve each year under his leadership. In 2022, The Irish would be ranked 39th in total defense, allowing 23.0 points per game. The following season, Notre Dame would have a top 10 defense, ranked 8th and allowing just 15.9 points per game. During his final season with the Irish, Notre Dame's defense was ranked 5th, only allowing 15.5 points per game.
Golden ran a pressure-oriented scheme at Notre Dame, which culminated in a top-5 turnover margin in college football in the 2024 season. Golden's defense had a knack for taking the ball away, as the Irish would finish the season 15 interceptions, with 5 returned for touchdowns, and 17 forced fumbles. Golden's tenacious approach to defending paved the way for Notre Dame to finish the regular season 11-1, en route to winning three college football playoff games before ultimately falling short in the national championship to Ohio State.
Luckily for Notre Dame, this likely wasn't a move that blindsided Marcus Freeman. As it stands, there is no indication as to where Freeman and the Irish will go to replace his dominant presence. If the Irish were to promote from within, a prime replacement candidate would likely be Defensive Back Coach Mike Mickens, who has developed some of the best Notre Dame secondary players in history.
Al Golden leaves Notre Dame with an incredible legacy of success at his position. A dominant run that Irish fans won't soon forget. Expect the Irish to hire the best man available to replace him.
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