Al Golden agreed to return to the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday after three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.

After days of reports and speculation following Notre Dame’s national championship loss to Ohio State, the Cincinnati Bengals announced on Thursday afternoon that Golden has been hired as the team’s next defensive coordinator.

Cincinnati is finalizing a deal to hire Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden to run its defense. Golden helped lead the Fighting Irish to Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game where they lost to Ohio State. He is expected to officially sign with the team on Thursday.