First, it was rumors. Then reports. Now, it's official. The Cincinnati Bengals have hired Al Golden as their new defensive coordinator, and head coach Zac Taylor provided some insight into why the Bengals went with Golden.
"Al is a very highly regarded coach, and we are excited to welcome him back to the Bengals as defensive coordinator," Taylor said of Golden. "He understands football at every level and has had great success as a coordinator, position coach and head coach. Al has a great football mind and will bring a smart, physical, aggressive approach to our defense."
Golden most recently served as the defensive coordinator for Notre Dame, and he helped lead the Fighting Irish to the National Championship game. They fell short of the ultimate goal, but Taylor was clearly impressed with Notre Dame's defense under Golden. He was the team's top choice all along following the departure of Lou Anarumo. The search was a truncated one, as only two other interviews were reported. But ultimately, Taylor got his guy.
After previously serving as the team's linebacker coach in 2020 and 2021, Golden still has ties to Cincinnati, and Taylor, which made the decision to return easier than it might have been otherwise.
"All my kids went to school here and I have two still here. Cincinnati is home for us. To have this opportunity at this time is exciting," Golden said. "I know how Zac wants things done and how the entire organization operates lends itself to being familiar with everything. I was a huge fan of Zac's culture when I was here the first time."
While he's excited to be back in the NFL -- and in Cincinnati -- there will be no honeymoon period, as Golden plans to hit the ground running in his new role.
"If you want to play fast during the season, you've got to push yourself through the offseason. The OTAs, the minicamps are going to be critical," Golden said. "I'm a big believer in not walking in on Tuesday and creating something. But rather drawing from the reservoir."
Golden has a lot of work ahead of him, and he's clearly aware of that fact. Cincinnati's defense was poor last season, and it held the team back from qualifying for postseason play. That's why Anarumo was let go, and why Golden was brought it. The Bengals are firmly in win-now mode with quarterback Joe Burrow and the offense operating at an elite level, so the pressure will be on for Golden immediately. Let's see how he responds.
