After three successful years at Notre Dame, DC Al Golden will take the same position with the Cincinnati Bengals. Let's look at who could potentially be in the running to replace him as Notre Dame's next DC.

Photo by Irish Tribune
Notre Dame Football has been on quite a run when it comes to talented and successful defensive coordinators. It started in 2017 when Mike Elko was hired by Brian Kelly as the new DC. Since then, Elko has become a head coach at Duke before going to Texas A&M, where he seems to be moving that program in the right direction. Then, Clark Lea came into the program and immediately showed his prowess as a coordinator, building a very strong defense during his tenure. Now, Lea is the head coach at Vanderbilt, where he has led them to one of their best seasons in years. Following Lea, Freeman was hired to be the next DC at Notre Dame, and it goes without saying that as a head coach, Freeman has put Notre Dame back in the upper echelon of college football. Freeman, as the head coach, hired Golden. During his time at Notre Dame, he has turned Notre Dame's defense into one of the best units in the country year after year. Known for his man defense, this season's secondary ranked the best in the entire country. Now, Golden moves back to the Bengals, where he has coached before, to be their DC. So, the question is, who will be the next DC at Notre Dame, and will they have the success that the ones before have had? We've compiled a preliminary list of names to consider.

Get an officially licensed Notre Dame pickleball paddle! Code IrishTribune20 for $20 off.
Mike Mickens: Notre Dame Defensive Back Coach
As it stands now, Mickens seems to be the most logical choice. Mickens has been with Notre Dame since 2020 when Brian Kelly hired him as the DB coach. Since then, he has built the DB position into an anchor position for the Irish. Mickens has coached All-Americans Benjamin Morrison, Kyle Hamilton, and Xavier Watts just to name a few. Freeman has also spoken highly about his ability to evaluate talent. Most recently, Mickens found Leonard Moore, who was just a three-star recruit, and he has now coached him into one of the best freshman corners in the country. Mickens would also bring a sense of continuity and familiarity to the defense, which can be a huge advantage for a team looking to compete for another National Championship.
Al Washington: Notre Dame Defensive Line Coach
Washington would be another in-house hire for Freeman if that is something he is considering. Washington has been with the Irish for the past three years. While at Notre Dame, Washington has shown an ability to produce pro talent, notably Isaiah Foskey, Howard Cross III, and Rylie Mills. Washington may have had his best coaching effort this season with the plethora of injuries the defensive line faced. With those injuries, Washington's unit was still able to post impressive numbers. Similar to hiring Mickens, Washington would also provide continuity on the defensive side of the ball.
Joe Rossi: Michigan State Defensive Coordinator
Rossi is a potential outside hire that Marcus Freeman could look at to replace Golden. Rossi has over 20 years of college coaching experience under his belt. His career started at Maine as a special teams coordinator before landing a job at Rutgers. At Rutgers, he served as a special teams coordinator before being promoted to the defensive coordinator position. He then went to Minnesota to be the defensive line coach. He was quickly promoted as the DC for the Gophers. In 2021, Rossi was a nominee for the Broyles Award, which is given to the best assistant coach in the country. In that same year, his defense ranked third in total defense, sixth in scoring defense, and eighth in rushing defense. Rossi had a few dominant defenses at Minnesota, making him one of the premiere coaches in the country. Now at Michigan State, he is part of a rebuild but could be on his way to Notre Dame if Freeman sees him as a suitable replacement for Golden.
Bryant Haines: Indiana Defensive Coordinator
Haines is another potential candidate for the DC job, as he currently coaches the defense for the Indiana Hoosiers. Haines, also a Broyles Award nominee, has been with Curt Cignetti since their time at James Madison. While at JMU, Haines consistently had one of the best defenses at the FCS level. Now at Indiana, he was a huge part of Hoosiers' early success in year one of the Cignetti era. Haines' defenses are known for their elaborate schemes to stop the run. With the talent that would become available to him at Notre Dame, Haines could become a high-level coordinator, as he has already proven his ability to out-coach teams with better talent during his time at Indiana and JMU.

Click to Join! - https://www.facebook.com/groups/legionoftheleprechaun
Comments