“Al has a great football mind and will bring a smart, physical, aggressive approach to our defense.”
The Cincinnati Bengals have officially hired Al Golden as the new defensive coordinator, the team announced Thursday.
Golden, 55, previously served as the Bengals’ linebackers coach from 2020-21 before spending the past three seasons (2022-24) as defensive coordinator at Notre Dame. He also held the title of linebackers coach for the Fighting Irish from 2022-23.
“Al is a very highly regarded coach, and we are excited to welcome him back to the Bengals as defensive coordinator,” said head coach Zac Taylor in a press release. “He understands football at every level and has had great success as a coordinator, position coach, and head coach. Al has a great football mind and will bring a smart, physical, aggressive approach to our defense.”
Under Golden in 2024, Notre Dame’s defense ranked second in the nation in points allowed (14.3 per game), fifth in interceptions (19), and ninth in total yards allowed (298.3 per game). The unit held 12 opponents to 17 or fewer points, helping the Fighting Irish to a 14-2 overall record and an appearance in the College Football Playoff National Championship.
From 2022-23, Golden coached six players that went on to be selected in the NFL Draft. His defense in 2023 ranked fourth nationally in red-zone touchdown percentage (70.6%) and fourth in passing yards allowed (154.2).
In 2021, his most recent season on Cincinnati’s coaching staff, Golden worked with a defense that ranked fifth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed (102.5). He helped the Bengals win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl LVI, with the defense totaling nine takeaways in the postseason.
Golden first broke into NFL coaching with the Detroit Lions, where he served as tight ends coach from 2016-17 and linebackers coach from ’18-19.
Prior to his stint with the Lions, Golden was a head coach at the college level for 10 years, spending the 2006-10 seasons at Temple University and ’11-15 at the University of Miami (Fla.). He began his coaching career in 1993 as offensive coordinator at Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, N.J., then later was a graduate assistant at the University of Virginia (’94-96), linebackers coach at Boston College (’97-99) and Penn State (2000), and defensive coordinator at Virginia (’01-05).
A native of Colts Neck, New Jersey, Golden played tight end at Penn State from 1988-91, then spent the 1992 season with the New England Patriots (no games played). He earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-law from Penn State in 1991 and a master’s degree in sports psychology from Virginia in 1996.
Welcome back!
