Notre Dame football defensive coordinator Al Golden is linked to the North Carolina head coaching vacancy. The Tarheels fired legendary college football coach Mack Brown on Tuesday after a disappointing 6-5 campaign. Meanwhile, the now No. 5 Fighting Irish, led by Marcus Freeman, are coming off a dominant victory over No. 19 Army and on the verge of a College Football Playoff berth.
College Football Senior Writer for ESPN Peter Thamel broke the news about North Carolina’s job search on College Football Live.
“What’s next for UNC is they immediately become the hottest job on the market. It’s hard to overstate how much interest they’ll be for the position. I’d expect Big Ten and SEC coaches to show interest in the job. The powers have coalesced up top in those two leagues, and at a good job like UNC playing against ACC-caliber competition, it would be attractive to coaches. Two assistant coaches who are names to watch are Glen Schumann at Georgia and Al Golden at Notre Dame.”
Al Golden and Marcus Freeman are thriving at Notre Dame in 2024
Al Golden is in his third year as Notre Dame football DC. The former University of Miami head coach has led the Fighting Irish this year to the second-lowest-scoring defense in the country at 11.6 points per game. Notre Dame has only given up more than 20 points once this entire year. The strength of the Irish defense is the secondary, which gives up the least yards per game in FBS. That stat is stunning, considering the Fighting Irish lost their captain for the season, cornerback Benjamin Morrison, in mid-October.
The junior out of Phoenix, Arizona, was a Freshman All-American and a two-time Independent Cornerback of the Year. Notre Dame football rebounded from this loss and has been looking dominant ever since. At 10-1, Marcus Freeman’s team heads into the last week of the regular season at USC. The Fighting Irish are in such a great position that they could potentially lose and still get into the College Football Playoff. A defeat, however, would almost certainly strip Notre Dame football of hosting a playoff game.
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Overall, the Fighting Irish have beaten four straight opponents by 20 or more points and are peaking at the perfect time this season. Quarterback Riley Leonard is getting more comfortable with every week and is now 16th in the FBS in QBR. The Duke grad transfer has showcased versatility both through the air and on the ground, coming in second on the team in rushing with 671 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Despite the outside noise on Al Golden’s future in South Bend, the vibes around Marcus Freeman’s program are stellar. The Fighting Irish have improved in every season under the third-year head coach. This season has confirmed that Notre Dame football is certainly not missing Brian Kelly at all, especially with his struggles in Baton Rouge.
Still, much work must be done for 2024 to be considered a successful season. Freeman and Golden understand that and will look to close the regular season on a high note in Southern California.