ATLANTA -- Al Golden orchestrated a Notre Dame defense that ranked top 10 nationally across myriad categories and spurred the Fighting Irish's run to Monday night's College Football Playoff Championship.
Along the way, Broyles was again named one of five finalists for the Broyles Award given to college football's top assistant coach -- and again attracted the interest of the NFL.
Specifically, the Cincinnati Bengals -- for whom Golden worked and helped lead them to a Super Bowl appearance three years ago before he was hired away by Marcus Freeman to Notre Dame.
Multiple sources here tell FootballScoop that Golden is the top choice for the Bengals defensive coordinator post and that Golden has been offered the job vacated earlier this month when the franchise fired Lou Anarumo and that the Bengals have offered their top defensive position to Golden.
The former Miami Hurricanes and Temple Owls head coach is expected to make a decision imminently this week.
Golden actually has assistant coaching experience on both sides of the ball in the NFL, despite his defensive roots through most of his coaching career. He spent two years as tight ends coach for the Detroit Lions in 2016-17 before he flipped over to defense as the Lions' linebackers coach, the same spot he held the next two years in Cincinnati before Notre Dame lured him back to college.
After agreeing to a new, long-term extension in December 2023 with Notre Dame that paid him more than $2 million annually and made him among college football's top-paid coordinators, Golden delivered one of the finest seasons of his three-decades-long coaching career in 2024.
The Fighting Irish defense ranked No. 9 nationally in total defense and No. 2 in scoring defense -- behind only Ohio State, which defeated the Irish Monday night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium to capture the CFP title.