Bengals hiring defensive coordinator Al Golden looks even better after he won a prestigious college football award

The Cincinnati Bengals believed hiring Al Golden gave the team the best defensive coordinator from college football.

This was proven right and then some.

Golden was named the 29th winner of the annual Broyles Award Thursday night, the award given to the top college football assistant coach in the country.

The winner of the 29th Annual #BroylesAward is @coachalgolden of @ndfootball ! pic.twitter.com/IRahzChcB5 Golden is the second Notre Dame DC to receive the honor, joining Bob Diaco from 2012.

Golden is also the second NFL coach with a Broyles Award attached to his resume.

Joe Brady, the offensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills, won the award as LSU's pass game coordinator in 2019 when Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase took the college game by storm.

"It's an honor." Golden said after winning .

"It's an honor to be associated with the Broyles Foundation and the Broyles Award.

As I said earlier, you have to be a part of a really special environment for this to be bestowed upon you.

That goes back to coach [Marcus] Freeman, our staff, and ultimately our student-athletes," Golden wrapped up his third and final year in South Bend commanding one of the top passing defenses in the nation.

Notre Dame ranked first in completion percentage allowed (52.1%) and fourth in passing yards per game allowed (169.4).

Two days after the Fighting Irish's title game loss to Ohio State, Golden and the Bengals finalized a deal to bring him back to where he coached prior to his three-year run as ND's DC.

Golden's two years coaching linebackers for Cincinnati put him on the radar for first-year head coach Marcus Freeman in 2022.

It didn't take long for Golden to ascend as one of the sport's best assistants.

The Bengals hired Golden back to a larger role in hopes of seeing similar results .

If nothing else, their decision to re-hire a familiar face looks incredibly justified after he won the highest honor he possibly couldve at his previous stop..

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