Reports emerged that Golden, who spent the last three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator, was the frontrunner to replace former coordinator Lou Anarumo. Golden then interviewed the Bengals after Notre Dame lost the CFP National Championship Game earlier this week and subsequently informed the program he was departing.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor now begins the hiring search for a new defensive coordinator after firing Lou Anarumo (and a handful of other coaches). While the top Bengals defensive coordinator candidates are major names, Taylor told reporters on Monday that many things will go into the hiring process.