Report: Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden emerges as Bengals top DC candidate

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden appears to be headed back to Cincinnati. On Monday night, after the Fighting Irish lost 34-23 to Ohio State in the national championship game, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported that Golden has emerged as the top candidate to become the Bengals defensive coordinator.

Golden just finished his third year in South Bend on Notre Dame coach Marcus Freeman’s first staff. He guided the Irish to three consecutive top-25 defenses. Before he joined Notre Dame at the start of the 2022 season, Golden spent two years as the Bengals’ linebackers coach. Cincinnati reached the Super Bowl during the 2021 season, his final one with the Bengals. Golden takes over for Lou Anarumo, who Cincinnati let go after 2024.

If Golden becomes the Bengals defensive coordinator, Freeman will have to appoint his replacement. It will be the fourth time Freeman has conducted a coordinator search as an Irish head coach.

After the 2022 season, he had to fill vacancies left by offensive coordinator Tommy Rees and special teams coordinator Brian Mason. Freeman promoted tight ends coach Gerad Parker to offensive coordinator and tapped Ole Miss special teams coordinator Marty Biagi to lead Notre Dame’s unit. Biagi was a special teams analyst with the Irish in 2016.

When Parker left Notre Dame after the 2023 season to become the head coach at Troy, Freeman snagged LSU offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock. Freeman worked with Denbrock at the University of Cincinnati from 2017-20.

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