The Cincinnati Bengals continued their busy offseason with the introduction of newly-hired defensive coordinator, Al Golden, formerly of Notre Dame.

Former Red Bank Catholic star Al Golden, fresh off Notre Dame's run to the CFP title game, is returning to the NFL as Bengals defensive coordinator

The Bengals' new defensive coordinator kept his residence in Cincinnati after his first stint with the team and is excited to be back.

This now leaves Marcus Freeman with the task of finding only his second defensive coordinator as he enters his fourth season at Notre Dame. Initially, there were rumors that Freem

“Sources: Chris Ash has accepted the job as the Notre Dame’s new defensive coordinator,” Pete Thamel said in a post. “Ash brings a blend of coordinating experience, NFL experience and high-end results as a collegiate coordinator. A deal is expected to be finalized in the near future.”

Al Golden agreed to return to the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday after three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.

Al Golden's tenure at Notre Dame was marked by success and significant contributions to the team's defense. As the defensive coordinator, Golden led the Fighting Irish to one of the nation's top defenses, achieving impressive rankings in several categories.

Golden's defense was one of the nation's best and ranked fifth nationally in scoring at a minuscule 15.5 points allowed per game. The veteran unit was the product of Golden's three years in the coordinator role and closed the 2024 season just shy of a national title.

Notre Dame football is looking at Chris Ash to fill its defensive coordinator vacancy after losing Al Golden to the Bengals.

Al Golden said he wanted to leave a place better than when he found it, and he believes he did that at Notre Dame.