HOT SPRINGS, Arkansas — 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.
Two days after falling to Ohio State in the title game, the defensive coordinator left for the NFL, where he will coordinate the defense for the Cincinnati Bengals. These days, he’s busy evaluating unrestricted free agents and studying names and measurables ahead of the NFL Combine, but on this Friday night at a horse track in central Arkansas, he’s donning a Notre Dame pin on a navy blue suit. He’s downright romantic as he reminisces about a three-year stay in South Bend.
“It was the greatest 1,000 days of my career to be associated, to wake up and coach those young men every day,” he said. “There’s a place in northern Indiana where young men go that still think it’s important to be great in the community, they still think it’s great to be awesome in the classroom, they still think it’s important and vital to have a spiritual component in your life. And it’s all fostered by a head coach who provides a culture. I was just blessed to be part of that for just a brief moment. For them, I’m grateful for this opportunity to be up here.”
Golden beat out four other coaches and became the Broyles Award winner during a Thursday ceremony at Oaklawn, a world-famous horse track and resort tucked an hour’s drive southwest of Arkansas’ state capital. Golden led an injury-stricken defense to a top-5 finish in several national categories, including scoring, and did so without several starters during the longest season in college football history.
“It’s hard,” Golden…
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