Notre Dame's Al Golden Nominated for Broyles Award

 

Photo: Notre Dame Football social media

By Tara Adams

Notre Dame Defensive Coordinator Al Golden is among 65 nominees for the 2024 Broyles Award, which honors college football’s best assistant coaches.

The Frank & Barbara Broyles Foundation announced the nominees on Tuesday. The nominees were chosen from approximately 1,500 assistant coaches representing 131 Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) teams, according to a written statement from the Foundation. 

Under Golden's leadership, Notre Dame has had one of college football’s top defenses in 2023 and 2024, according to a statement by Notre Dame Athletics. 

“Golden has coached first-time starters, and reserve players brought into starting roles by injuries, to major success, all while facing a schedule of diverse offensive schemes,” according to the statement.

According to the statement, Notre Dame in 2024 is first in passing defense (139.5), first in team passing efficiency defense (88.27), first in turnovers gained (26), second in scoring defense (11.6), second in defensive touchdowns (4), third in fumbles recovered (11), fourth in total defense (273.1), fourth in first downs allowed (168), fifth in red zone defense (0.708), eighth in third down conversion defense (0.297) and ninth in passes intercepted (15). 

The Irish defense has held seven of its opponents to 125 passing yards or less this season, ranking first in the FBS in that category, according to the statement. 

Notre Dame also leads the country in turnovers gained with 26, earning 127 points off of those turnovers; is the only FBS team to have held each of its opponents to 24 points or less in every game this season, and has held opponents to 250 yards or less on offense in six games so far in 2024, according to the statement. 

Golden, a New Jersey native, played tight end at Penn State from 1988-1991 and has held several assistant coaching positions in college football and the NFL. He also was head coach at Temple University and the University of Miami. He was hired as defensive coordinator by Notre Dame coaching in 2022.

A committee of former head coaches, broadcasters, and members of the Football Writers Association of America will narrow the nominees down to 15 semi-finalists, then five finalists, and then an overall winner, the Broyles Foundation stated. 

“The Broyles Award was created in 1996 recognizing Coach Frank Broyles’ legacy of selecting and developing great assistants during his hall of fame career as head coach at Arkansas,” according to the statement from the Broyles Foundation. 

For more information about the award and to see the list of nominees, visit https://broylesaward.com/posts/nominees-for-2024-award/.