Golden helped Notre Dame reach the national championship game last month before he was hired as the Cincinnati Bengals’ defensive coordinator.

Notre Dame landed yet another outstanding defensive class under head coach Marcus Freeman. The Irish hit all of its needs in the class and added impact talent on all three levels of the defense. Notre Dame landed one of the nation's best classes at cornerback,

Nearly one month after Notre Dame's magical run to the national championship game, Al Golden was still processing a memorable season as he stood in a hallway outside a large banquet room where he would soon receive recognition as the nation's top assistant coach.

Al Golden may be off to the NFL but sure sounds like someone who will always be a part of the Notre Dame family.

Former Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is the Broyles Award winner as college football's top assistant for the 2024 season.