Jan 8, 2025
FILE – Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden surveys the field before an NCAA college football game against Stanford, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024, in South Bend, Ind. (AP Photo/Michael Caterina, File)
FORT LAUDERDALE — Forgive Al Golden if he feels like he’s living in a time warp.
The former 1990 Nittany Lion team captain currently serves as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.
Golden is now scheming to stop Penn State in Thursday’s College Football Playoff semifinal (7:30 p.m. ESPN). A berth in the Jan. 20 CFP national championship game is on the line.
“I’m excited that Penn State is doing well, and I’m happy for the program,” he said Tuesday during pre-Orange Bowl festivities. “But more importantly, this is a great journey for us.”
Golden not only played for the Lions. He also envisioned himself coaching them.
He applied for the head-coaching position in 2014, after Bill O’Brien, and though there was strong internal support, James Franklin was hired.
Golden, 55, deflected that subject except to say he appreciates the relationships he formed at Penn State and the friendships he still maintains.
“I wish them well,” he said, adding some of his former teammates return for the Blue-White Game. “I haven’t been back in a while because my season runs congruent with them.”
Golden’s “overarching lesson” gleaned from Joe Paterno was “if you take care of the person, the person will become what you want as the athlete. The athlete is the byproduct” of discipline, academic commitment, team orientation, physical development and community service, he said.
Franklin praised Golden, calling him “one of us. He’s a Penn Stater. I’ve known Al for a long time. Been a head coach, been in the NFL. He’s doing a great job with their defense.”
While at Virginia as an assistant, Golden recruited and coached Lion safeties coach Anthony Poindexter and receivers coach Marques Hagans.
Golden’s head-coaching journey began at Temple, where he went 27-34 in five seasons (2006-10) before becoming head coach at Miami. He went 32-25 in five seasons with the Hurricanes before being fired in 2015, and this Orange Bowl trip has allowed him to reorient with some South Florida neighbors.
Though the tenure ended in disappointment that “I’ve since reconciled,” Golden said “you always take the positive from every step of the journey.”
“My kids played Little League here,” he said.
Before landing back in college football three years ago, Golden spent time on the coaching staffs with the Detroit Lions and Cincinnati Bengals, which he helped gain a Super Bowl berth as linebackers coach in 2021.
Now he’s back in his college roots playing against his alma mater.
When a Penn State writer asked Golden to describe his playing days, he smiled and said, “You’re always a way better player decades later than you really were. I was an above average player in a really good program and a leader and a captain — that’s what I’m most proud of.”
Golden played a key role in Penn State’s 24-21 win at No. 1 Notre Dame in 1990 in which the Nittany Lions overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit.
The game has always been memorable to me because I thought it may have been the best strategically executed game of Paterno’s career.
Or certainly one of them.
Capitalizing on an injury to the great Rocket Ismail, the Lions tied the score a touchdown passes to Terry Smith and then Golden.
Tied at 21 late in the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions were approaching the Irish 40 and faced a fourth-and-4 when Paterno decided to punt. I can remember thinking that day, “He’s playing for the tie.”
Only he wasn’t.
Knowing Notre Dame would be aggressive because it needed to preserve its No. 1 ranking — and, as importantly, the Irish were facing a stiff wind — Paterno exercised incredible patience, even though members of his staff wanted him to go for the fourth-and-4.
There was just 2:15 remaining, but the scheme worked to perfection.
Penn State safety Darren Perry intercepted Rick Mirer and returned it to the Notre Dame 20 with a minute left. The Lions ran the clock down for freshman kicker Craig Fayak, who nailed a 34-yard field goal to deck the Irish.
Golden clarified Tuesday that Paterno “wasn’t playing for the tie.”
“He told us the defense was playing great,” Golden said. “We pinned them in and made a play.”
That was as much as Golden would allow a step back in time before refocusing on the task at hand.
“To have this opportunity … it’s hard to get here,” he said. “People think just because you’re here now, you’ll be back again next year. I don’t take anything for granted. I’m very grateful to represent Notre Dame and be part of this program. And the fact that I went to Penn State. (I can’t) worry about anything on the outside … I’m just staying in the moment and worrying about our players.
“You look at Penn State. There’s a reason they’ve won so many games … so there’s not a lot of time to reminisce.”
Rudel can be reached at nrudel@altoonamirror.com.
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