"AD Pete Bevacqua is getting ZERO sleep" - Notre Dame fans share concerns as rumors float around DC Al Golden

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden has helped mold the Fighting Irish's defense into one of the best in the country, leading to a spectacular run to the national championship game. The Fighting Irish defense will have their work cut out for them in facing a potent Ohio State Buckeyes offense.

On Thursday, a report by the Cincinnati Enquirer linked Golden to the vacant Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator's job after coach Zac Taylor fired Lou Anuramo on Jan. 6. Golden was a linebackers coach under Taylor during the 2020-21 season.

College football fans on X (formerly Twitter) had mixed reactions to Golden being linked to the Bengals' job.

"1. Beat Ohio State, 2. Retain HCMF, 3. Retain Al Golden, 4. Undoubtedly fight to retain Mike Denbrock. Notre Dame AD Pete Bevacqua is getting ZERO sleep the next few weeks," one fan tweeted.

"He’s not going anywhere," another fan wrote.

"Say it ain't so, Joe," one fan said.

Some Notre Dame fans in the comments were devastated at the news.

"Why would you post this… even if you think it’s true, BEFORE the big game?" a fan tweeted.

"I don’t want this to happen," another fan wrote.

"Say it ain't so, Joe," one fan said.

Al Golden is valued by coach Marcus Freeman

When Marcus Freeman was hired as the coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in 2021, he did not have coaches with much experience on his staff, and during a press conference before the Orange Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions, he praised Al Golden.

“When I hired Al Golden three years ago, it was for two reasons,” Freeman said. “One, I believed he had a great defensive mind and could do great things with our defense, but two, at that point we did not have a former head coach on our staff, and I thought it was important to get somebody that had experience where I had none on our staff."

"The growth we’ve made in three years has been tremendous. Our defense is doing really great things right now, and coach Golden gets all the credit. ... I believe in trying to gain wisdom from other people that have experience. That was a huge part in the decision making of hiring Al Golden,” he added.

For his part, Golden also revealed that he was focusing on the Fighting Irish's College Football Playoff run rather than any external job noise.

“I’m very grateful for this opportunity," Golden said. "Just staying focused, just staying humble, just staying in the moment, not worrying about anything. ... I’m just concentrating and just being really, really focused on the moment and being the best I can for these players. They deserve that.”

Amid the links to the Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator's job, Golden will be up against one of the best offensive coordinators in college football when the Notre Dame Fighting Irish face the rampaging Ohio State Buckeyes led by Chip Kelly.