The Notre Dame Fighting Irish faced a disappointing end to their season on Monday night, losing to the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff national championship game. As the team aims to recover from this setback, they may have to do so without one of their key coaches. Reports from Pete Nakos of On3 indicate that Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator, Al Golden, is poised to leave for the Cincinnati Bengals as their next defensive coordinator, contingent on a successful formal interview.
“Notre Dame’s Al Golden is expected to interview with Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor in the next 48 hours for the defensive coordinator opening, sources tell On3. The current expectation is Golden will be the Bengals’ next defensive coordinator if all goes as planned,” Nakos wrote for On3. A source informed On3 that Golden has not yet had the interview due to his focus on Notre Dame’s College Football Playoff run. However, following the national championship game, the Bengals are fully committed to pursuing the 55-year-old defensive coordinator, their top candidate.
The Bengals are looking to fill the defensive coordinator position after parting ways with former coordinator Lou Anarumo and several other defensive assistants due to a disappointing performance from their defense during most of the 2024-25 season. With Golden potentially on the way out, it remains to be seen who Notre Dame will target to fill this crucial role.
