Golden will replace Lou Anarumo, whom the Bengals fired at the conclusion of their season.
The Cincinnati Bengals are hiring Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden as their defensive coordinator, according to multiple reports.
Golden will replace Lou Anarumo, whom the Bengals fired at the conclusion of their season. The Colts hired Anarumo as their defensive coordinator on Monday.
News of Golden’s move to Cincinnati arrives two days after Notre Dame played in and lost to Ohio State in Monday’s CFP National Championship Game. Golden was Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator from 2022-24.
Golden returns to the Bengals, with whom he worked as linebackers coach from 2020-21 under Zac Taylor. Taylor has been Cincinnati’s head coach since 2019. Anarumo was the defensive coordinator during Golden’s stint as linebackers coach.
A former tight end at Penn State, Golden has prior NFL coaching experience as the linebackers (2018-19) and tight ends coach (2016-17) for the Detroit Lions. Golden was previously the head coach at the University of Miami from 2011-15 and at Temple from 2006-10.
Golden inherits a defense that has become a liability in Cincinnati since he served as linebackers coach for the team that advanced to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season.
The Bengals ranked 18th in the league in yards allowed in 2021 and intercepted Patrick Mahomes twice in Cincinnati’s AFC championship game over the Chiefs en route to the Super Bowl. Amid player attrition, Cincinnati’s defense fell to 31st in yards allowed (374.6 per game) in 2023.
The Bengals ranked 25th in yards allowed (348.3 per game) in 2024 and missed the playoffs at 9-8 despite boasting an explosive offense led by Pro Bowlers Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase. Missing the playoffs in 2025 would again be deemed a disappointment, but the Bengals won’t fix their defensive woes strictly by making a change on the sidelines.
