Marcus Freeman's Notre Dame coaching staff takes massive hit as Al Golden makes move to NFL

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is set to return to the Cincinnati Bengals after three seasons in South Bend. The move comes just days after the Fighting Irish’s disappointing loss to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff national championship game.

Golden served as the Bengals’ linebackers coach during the 2020 and 2021 seasons before taking over as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame following Marcus Freeman’s promotion to head coach. This time, Golden will take on a larger role, returning to Cincinnati as the team's defensive coordinator.

Al Golden steps in for Lou Anarumo, who held the Bengals’ defensive coordinator role for the past six seasons. Anarumo was dismissed by the franchise at the end of the NFL regular season after Cincinnati failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

A new challenge for Al Golden

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator job comes as a whole new challenge for Al Golden in his career. This will be the first time he is taking a coordinator role in the NFL. Despite his familiarity with the franchise, he's expected to encounter a series of challenges on the job.

Golden will be tasked with establishing a defense in Cincinnati that matches the high standard he helped create during his tenure with the Fighting Irish. Notre Dame’s defense was a key factor in the team’s underdog run to the national championship game.

Heading into the CFP final against Ohio State, Notre Dame ranked fourth among Power 4 programs in points allowed per drive (1.21), according to ESPN Research. If Golden can bring this level of defensive excellence to Cincinnati, it could help the Bengals return to playoff contention.

Golden’s hiring is part of a broader overhaul of the Bengals’ coaching staff ahead of the 2025 NFL season. On Monday, the team officially announced the addition of Scott Peters as offensive line coach and Michael McCarthy as assistant offensive line coach.

Notre Dame faces tough task of replacing Al Golden

Following the loss to Ohio State in the national championship game, Notre Dame now faces the challenge of securing a replacement for Al Golden as he departs the program.

Defensive pass-game coordinator Mike Mickens and defensive run-game coordinator Al Washington are strong internal candidates to step into the role.

Mickens, who has led the nation’s top pass-efficiency defense over the past two seasons, is highly regarded by Freeman and appears to be a leading contender for the job.