After firing Lou Anarumo, the Bengals have found their replacement, hiring Al Golden as defensive coordinator.
Golden is a familiar face in Cincinnati, having spent the 2020 and 2021 seasons as the team’s LB coach. After positive results, in terms of team success and player development at the position he oversaw, Golden was poached away by the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
At Notre Dame, he spent the 2022 and 2023 seasons as their LB coach and defensive coordinator. In 2024, defensive coordinator was his lone title.
Golden’s success continued at Notre Dame, with 2024 being his peak season. His defence was a huge reason for their success, helping the team make it all the way to the College Football National Championship. Despite the loss to Ohio State, the season is regarded as a huge positive for Golden, and a loss to an uber-talented team like Ohio State, does not change what he accomplished throughout the year and in the playoffs.
Going forward, the Bengals will be looking for Golden to get the defence back on track, after it took a massive dive in 2024. Personnel decisions and player development were issues this past season, and the hope is that Golden can help in both of those areas.
Additionally, the Bengals have brought in Jerry Montgomery as their new DL coach, replacing Marion Hobby.
Montgomery spent this past season in the same role for the New England Patriots. Before that, he was with the Green Bay Packers. Montgomery joined the Packers in 2015, as a defensive front assistant. He was then promoted to DL coach in 2018, with additional duties as run game coordinator being given to him in 2022.
These moves fill some of the vacancies left after the Bengals decided to shake things up on the defensive staff. In the coming days, we should begin to see the rest of the staff fill out.
