Penn State football letterman returning to NFL sidelines, report says

Former Penn State football captain Al Golden appears set to head back to the NFL after a brief return to the college game. Two days after Notre Dame fell short in the National Championship Game, reports suggest that Golden is expected to move on from South Bend to become the new defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals.

According to Pete Thamel, Golden has already informed Marcus Freeman and the Fighting Irish of his decision. The former Nittany Lion joined the Notre Dame staff in 2022 after serving as the Bengals linebackers coach in 2020 and 2021.

Sources: Notre Dame DC Al Golden is expected to become the Cincinnati Bengals next defensive coordinator. He’s informed Notre Dame officials of his decision. pic.twitter.com/IKjXJ1rTtE

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 22, 2025

The move marks Golden’s second stint in the professional rankings, coaching for the Detroit Lions for four seasons before his two years in Cincinnati. Golden has a decade of head coaching experience at Temple and Miami. He returned to Penn State football in 2000 to serve as linebackers coach.

Golden emerged victorious from the clash with his alma mater earlier in January, holding the Nittany Lions to 145 second-half yards in a 27-24 Notre Dame win in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Orange Bowl.

© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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The former Penn State tight end had been mentioned early on as a potential replacement for Tom Allen as the Nittany Lions’ defensive coordinator. However, those reports never gained much traction after it became clear Golden would be a prime candidate for the Bengals’ coordinator job.

“I mean, I’m excited that Penn State’s doing well, happy for the program,” Golden said ahead of the Orange Bowl. “But more importantly, it’s been a great journey for us, you know. This is my third year at Notre Dame, and [I] had an opportunity to build it with Coach Freeman and get to this point.”

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