Notre Dame defensive staffer named as a strong early candidate for open NFL coaching vacancy

When your program is the healthiest it has been in a long time, you are going to have assistant coaches garner interest from other organizations. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has built a tremendous staff, and it’s showing so far in the 2024 season, currently sitting with a 13-1 record and one win away […]

Ryan Roberts — National College Football Writer
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Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman during the first quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium.
Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

When your program is the healthiest it has been in a long time, you are going to have assistant coaches garner interest from other organizations. Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman has built a tremendous staff, and it’s showing so far in the 2024 season, currently sitting with a 13-1 record and one win away from a national championship appearance.

The Athletic senior writer Paul Dehner Jr., who covers the Cincinnati Bengals, published a piece in the wake of the open defensive coordinator position with the team coming open. Lou Anarumo was let go on Monday, and speculation over who will fill the spot has already begun.

Dehner mentioned Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden as a strong potential candidate for the job, whom the Bengals are very familiar with after Golden served as the linebacker from 2020-21. Here’s what Dehner had to say about Golden and his potential candidacy.

Al Golden

• Age: 55

• Current job: Notre Dame defensive coordinator

This would be the most familiar face on the list. Golden coached linebackers for two seasons in Cincinnati (2020-’21). He took over a position group where every key player, including starters Logan Wilson and Germaine Pratt, was on a rookie contract. He helped turn the group into one of the strengths of the Super Bowl team. That earned Golden a job as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. Golden, who was a head coach at Temple University and the University of Miami, once again excelled in the college ranks as a finalist for the Broyles Award for top assistant coach in college football. The Fighting Irish’s defense is pacing their run to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. If doing a better job developing the young players on defense is the top priority, Golden would fit the bill. Would he leave Notre Dame? Will he have head-coaching offers elsewhere? It’s hard to say for sure, but his connection with Taylor, this organization and the players check many boxes.

This mention is obviously a projection, but as Dehner stated, it’s one that does make a lot of sense. Coach Golden is very familiar with the Cincinnati organization, and head coach Zac Taylor. Add in the fact that Golden has arguably been the best defensive coordinator in college football over the last two years, and he should be a very attractive candidate.

While this candidacy will make some Notre Dame fans nervous, this isn’t the first time a team has had interest in Coach Golden. Coach Freeman has made sure to continue taking care of Golden, and keeping him in South Bend as long as possible. If this does materialize, you can bet that the Fighting Irish won’t go down without a fight. 

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