Notre Dame assistant Al Golden finally gets the respect he was denied a season ago

For whatever reason, Notre Dame football defensive coordinator Al Golden hasn’t gotten a ton of respect for the job he’s done since arriving in South Bend. While Marcus Freeman and Mike Denbrock tend to get praise on a weekly basis, Golden usually works under the radar.

He works under the radar so much that despite having one of the best defenses in 2023, he missed the cut for the Broyles Award. That’s the award that goes to the best assistant in the sport. 

This year, however, it looks like the Notre Dame football DC is on the verge of getting the props he deserves. That’s because this year, he is in fact one of the finalists for the Broyles award.

Notre Dame football’s Al Golden is Broyles Finalist

Golden has a long way to go before he can start making space in his trophy case. He's up against a large field, so the list eventually will be cut to 15 semifinalists and then five finalists before a winner is named.

For now there are still more than 65. But it’s a first step. And it’s one he deserves. When it gets narrowed to 15 and then five, he should be on the list. He should have been on the list last year.

It feels after being snubbed last season, there’s a very good bet that he’ll at least make the next round of voting. The Notre Dame football defensive coordinator deserves at least that much after a second straight season where his defense is among the best.