The Cincinnati Bengals ongoing search for a defensive coordinator has brought us to a familiar face.
Al Golden currently serves as the defensive coordinator for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who will play in the College Football Championship this week. Golden has some familiarity with the Bengals, as he served as the team's linebacker coach prior to taking the job in Notre Dame.
Al Golden has a history with the Cincinnati Bengals
When Golden decided to relocate from Cincinnati to South Bend, Indiana, the Bengals were already set at defensive coordinator, as Lou Anarumo held the position. But, the Bengals parted ways with Anarumo following the 2024 season, which has led to some speculation that the team could look to bring back Golden.
The Bengals have already interviewed a couple of candidates for the job, but the process has been pretty quiet. Could they be waiting for the college season to end in order to take a shot at Golden? It's possible.
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The idea has certainly generated some buzz to the point that Golden was asked about a potential role with Cincinnati prior to Notre Dame's 27-24 victory over Penn State in the Orange Bowl, but it wasn't a topic he was interested in discussing.
“Look, it took us 30 years to get to this point here,” Golden said. “I’m not worried about anything else but how to stop Penn State. And I mean that. Two really good backs. A tight end that is dominant. We just talked about the quarterback and a scheme that is really, really challenging. That’s the only thing we’re focused on right now.
“I’ve talked to nobody,” Golden added. “I can’t even get out of the facility right now. We just had the shortest week of the year.”
The NCAA National Championship is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 20. Perhaps the Bengals will engage Golden in conversations after that. Or maybe they won't. Who knows. There's certainly no shortage of candidates for them to look at, but given Golden's previous history in Cincinnati and the success he's had in Notre Dame, it seems like a move that could make sense for both sides.