How Al Golden was reborn at Notre Dame

NOTRE DAME DEFENSIVE Coordinator Al Golden isn’t one to talk about his past, certainly not his past in Miami, where he held his last head coaching job nine years ago.

Those days are so long ago, he says, and he is such a different place now. But here’s the thing: There would be no Al Golden at Notre Dame without Al Golden at Miami.

Golden had to leave prom to find herself. He went to the NFL because he needed to try something different. And it rejuvenated him—to the point that he wanted to give college the old college another try.

Now in his third year, Golden has built a physical, aggressive, opportunistic Notre Dame defense based on NFL principles he picked up during assistant coaching stints with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals. His schemes are complicated but rely on good technique, fundamentals and communication – 11 players in sync who understand what each needs to do to get the job done.

Heading into its first-round playoff game against Indiana on Friday night (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN), the Notre Dame defense ranks first in team pass efficiency defense, tied for first in turnovers (28), first in defensive touchdowns ( 6), third in scoring defense (13.6), third in passing yards allowed (157.9), fourth in interceptions (17), tied for seventh in fumbles recovered (11) and ninth in total defense (296.8).

The Irish have held 10 of their 12 opponents to 16 or fewer points – their best performance since the 2012 season. As a result, a coach who had to rediscover his love for the game after the lowest moment of his career has been named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given to the nation’s top assistant.

Golden would rather talk about his players, the opportunity ahead of the Irish and the job coach Marcus Freeman has done more than anything else. Whenever a question is asked about the experiences that led him here, Golden pauses and says, “You’re making it about me again.”

But those around him know Notre Dame wouldn’t be in this place without him. Whether he likes it or not, this season has been a bit about Al Golden.

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GOLDEN WAS AT home on December 4, 2015, and watched “Thursday Night Football” between the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions. Six weeks earlier, he had been fired as Miami head coach after the worst home loss in school history, a 58-0 drubbing of Clemson. Golden had no plans other than spending time with his family.

So he watched, in disbelief, as Aaron Rodgers threw a 61-yard Hail Mary to Richard Rodgers to give the Packers a 27-23 come-from-behind victory. Three days later, Golden got a phone call from Lions head coach Jim Caldwell with a simple request: Come work for me. Now.

Caldwell was the quarterbacks coach at Penn State when Golden played tight end for the Nittany Lions from 1988-91, so their connection goes way back. But Golden asked for more time. “Circle back at the end of the season,” Golden told him.

Caldwell did, convinced Golden wanted to coach in the NFL. He was right.

Golden spent four seasons with the Lions, first as tight ends coach under Caldwell from 2016-17, then as linebackers coach from 2018-19 after Matt Patricia replaced Caldwell as head coach.

“I just wanted another challenge,” Golden said.

To that point, Golden had spent his entire career in the college game, working as a position coach and then a defensive coordinator. He got his first head coaching job at Temple in 2006. He performed a miracle there, turning around one of the worst programs in America, taking it to 17 wins in his final two seasons and their first bowl appearance in 30 years in 2009.

Miami, considered a rising star in the trade, hired him in 2011, eager to return to past greatness and believing his no-nonsense attitude would help get the job done.

Even in the heat and humidity of South Florida, Golden wore a button-down shirt and orange tie, a tribute to his college coach, Joe Paterno — and became one of the last coaches in America to wear business attire on the sidelines.

But as grand as his plans to restore Miami might have been, Golden could never quite get the Hurricanes over the top, nor could he meet the demands of a fan base that expects championships every season. He never beat rival Florida State during his time there, nor did he win 10 games in a season. After finishing 2014 with four straight losses to finish 6-7, fan discontent grew.

Miami fans flew over the stadium with banners proclaiming “Fire Al Golden” at nearly every home game toward the end of his tenure. The situation became untenable.

After the 58-0 loss to Clemson, Golden was fired. The whole experience drained him and made him question what he wanted to do and where he wanted to be. Every step he had taken to this point had been carefully ordered, climbing the steps of the hallway to reach the ultimate goal: head coach. At one point, some even thought he was a possible Penn State candidate.

Miami was the first time in his career he had ever been sacked.

Enter his search for something a little different.

“You get to a point where you find that as a head coach and it doesn’t go your way, you put your heart and soul into it … I bet if you ask the guys that I work with right now, would you ever imagine that guy was burned out. The guy works like an animal,” Golden says during a fleeting moment of introspection.

“But you get tired of it. I just needed a change.”

So he got the change he wanted moving to Detroit. He found his joy, spent more time with his family and, he says, “fell back in love with coaching.”

He moved on to the Bengals in 2020 as linebackers coach, believing he could make a difference with a franchise eager to grow and turn a corner, especially after drafting Joe Burrow to lead them in The 2020 draft. In 2021, the Bengals made a run to the Super Bowl and Golden had the time of his life.

But by the time the Bengals were in the middle of their late-season run, Freeman had been promoted from defensive coordinator to Notre Dame head coach. He needed a defensive coordinator who could pick up where his group left off and build on it, not tear it down and start from scratch.

He had friends on the Bengals staff who told him Golden was integral to their defensive growth and suggested they talk.

“We had a brief conversation and I was intrigued,” Freeman said. “After three or four conversations, I was convinced he was a guy that I wanted to lead our defense.”

Golden finally got his chance to visit South Bend between the AFC Championship Game and the Super Bowl. That cemented it for Golden and Freeman.

“It started with the philosophy and the fundamentals and the values ​​that we both have and what successful defense is,” Freeman said. “It’s not this one blitz or this one coverage, it’s a philosophy of doing the little things right.”

“To be with the Bengals at that time and be a part of that was just something special,” Golden said. “But when Notre Dame calls, you have to listen. So here we are.”

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EVERY DAY BEFORE practice, Notre Dame works on ball interception drills, from punting the ball to stripping the football and other techniques.

So at the end of each week, they meet again to discuss… ball interference. During his job interview with Freeman, Golden actually shared how he taught interceptions in the NFL, in addition to tackling and situational football.

“He puts a premium on it,” safety Jordan Clark said. “That’s how you impact the game. That’s why you see the results we’ve had this year.”

Notre Dame has improved in this category since Golden arrived. In 2022, the Irish forced 15; last year, 24; this year, 28

Another reason for the results is that Golden, 55, has been able to add more to his plan the more his players have a firmer grasp and understanding of what to do. He has also empowered his players to find solutions when bugs or problems arise.

“His defense and his installations are definitely fierce, but I love it because that’s exactly what you get in the NFL,” defensive tackle Rylie Mills said. “The more you can prepare for it now, so when you get there, it’s that much easier. He’s throwing everything he’s got at us and that’s helped us get to another level.”

The defense this year brought back a veteran group eager to learn more: from Mills to safety Xavier Watts to Howard Cross III to Jack Kiser. But the unit has also had to deal with its fair share of injuries, losing starting cornerback Benjamin Morrison for the season and two linebackers in Jordan Botelho and Boubacar Traore, in addition to key reserves in the secondary. Eight different players have made their first career start in 2024. Cross has missed the past month with a sprained ankle but is expected to play against Indiana.

The injuries have meant that young players like Leonard Moore, Adon Shuler and Bryce Young have had to step up and play more. Even so, the defensive efforts have not fallen off.

“Somewhere along this journey we went from an experienced group to a group that has really brought in a lot of young people that have stepped up for us,” Golden said.

Even new players who have just been integrated in the off-season feel it. Clark chose to transfer to Notre Dame from Arizona State in part to learn from Golden.

“You know what you learn here will be the same things you would do at the next level because you’re playing in an NFL system,” Clark says. “His insight, his teaching is invaluable. To be able to get that knowledge from him, even though it’s incredibly difficult and frustrating at first, makes all the difference. I think that’s a big part of why we still plays so far into the season.”

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THE GOLD HAS GIVEN up the shirt and tie to half zips and sweatshirts. His comfort on the sidelines is evident. He came back to college at a time when there was a dramatic shift toward a more pro-style model with the NIL and the transfer portal — changes that have driven many college coaches either to the NFL or out of coaching.

Golden had no qualms about any of that when he arrived in 2022, where he would mostly help influence young players as he did earlier in his career — and assist Freeman as he became a head coach for the first time. At times, Freeman will rely on Golden for advice based on his own experiences — including navigating an extended playoff run, which Golden participated in during his time in the NFL.

There are even parallels between the pressure Golden faced to bring a national championship back to Miami and the pressure Freeman faces to do the same with the Irish — who last won a national title in 1988.

As for his own long-term future and whether he wants one more shot to prove himself as a head coach, Golden says, “I’m having too much fun being in the moment.

“I just want to do the best job I can, and if it leads to opportunities in the future, it leads to opportunities in the future,” Golden said. “But I’m not looking for anything. I’ve always believed that you try to improve where you are and leave it a better place and the rest of it takes care of itself. So that’s my focus and that is how I come to work every day, just loving the challenge that is here at Notre Dame.”