Al Golden

Giddyup · Oct 17, 2023

forkbeard3777 said:
Should Golden not be around for next season, I'd immediately go after Dave Aranda (presuming he doesn't survive this season). I'm not too sure why the HC job isn't working out at Baylor (he did have that one really good season), but he's a tremendous defensive mind. I think he would flourish at ND and would fit in very well with its culture.

Jim Leonard for DC

Jiggafini19Deux · Oct 17, 2023

Redbar said:
I think NFL coordinators make more than most college coordinators.

The average is $1M. Vic Fangio is the highest at $4.5M.

NC winners not far behind Super Bowl winners. This is the trajectory.

Pop is just a legend.

Giddyup · Oct 17, 2023

Andy Reid only makes $12 million? He should probably be the highest paid HC.

Ophiocordyceps · Oct 17, 2023

Belichick

DCDomer · Oct 17, 2023

Giddyup said:
Jim Leonard for DC

This. Every damn day.

Luckylucci · Oct 18, 2023

Freeman and Aranda might be the first coaching combo to win a Natty without fielding an offense.

1rishftw · Oct 18, 2023

WildMan1 said:
We have to outscore USC & just get a few more stops than them..

We’re not “containing” Caleb Williams

aged like milk

stlnd01 · Oct 18, 2023

Giddyup said:
Jim Leonard for DC

Why is Leonard currently an analyst and not a coordinator?

IA4irish · Oct 18, 2023

stlnd01 said:
Why is Leonard currently an analyst and not a coordinator?

Because he was too loyal to Wisconsin and then they went in another direction. He seriously loves Wisconsin/Madison. He’s not just going to take any job

forkbeard3777 · Oct 18, 2023

Giddyup said:
Jim Leonard for DC

Freeman would have to really ramp it up on the recruiting trail, but he would be another great choice. You couldn’t go wrong with either Aranda or Leonhard.

arrowryan · Oct 18, 2023

Golden purchased temporary housing in South Bend and didn’t move his family from Cincy.

So, from the very beginning, he planned on his time at ND to be short.

stlnd01 · Oct 18, 2023

arrowryan said:
Golden purchased temporary housing in South Bend and didn’t move his family from Cincy.

So, from the very beginning, he planned on his time at ND to be short.

Or maybe he has kids in school and didn't want to uproot them? (not sure how old his kids are - wikipedia says he has three - but he's of the age that one or more could easily be in high school).
Regardless I dunno why any assistant football coach would buy a house in the town where they work. Most of them move every two or three years, of their own choosing or otherwise.

I'd gladly take either Leonard or Aranda if Golden moves on. But again I worry he won't move on until January, on the NFL hiring cycle, and they'll both be scooped up by then in the college hiring cycle. I hope Golden and Freeman have an understanding about Al's intentions.

arrowryan · Oct 18, 2023

stlnd01 said:
Or maybe he has kids in school and didn't want to uproot them? (not sure how old his kids are - wikipedia says he has three - but he's of the age that one or more could easily be in high school).
Regardless I dunno why any assistant football coach would buy a house in the town where they work. Most of them move every two or three years, of their own choosing or otherwise.

I'd gladly take either Leonard or Aranda if Golden moves on. But again I worry he won't move on until January, on the NFL hiring cycle, and they'll both be scooped up by then in the college hiring cycle. I hope Golden and Freeman have an understanding about Al's intentions.

Freeman has made some pretty good hires in his two years. I’ll trust him to make the right decision at DC when the time comes.

ab2cmiller · Oct 18, 2023

stlnd01 said:
Or maybe he has kids in school and didn't want to uproot them? (not sure how old his kids are - wikipedia says he has three - but he's of the age that one or more could easily be in high school).
Regardless I dunno why any assistant football coach would buy a house in the town where they work. Most of them move every two or three years, of their own choosing or otherwise.

I'd gladly take either Leonard or Aranda if Golden moves on. But again I worry he won't move on until January, on the NFL hiring cycle, and they'll both be scooped up by then in the college hiring cycle. I hope Golden and Freeman have an understanding about Al's intentions.

Son is a Senior at St. Xavier

Free Manera · Oct 18, 2023

Leonhard would be great schematically but there has been a lot of talk that he hates recruiting and doesn't particularly excel at it. With Freeman as the lead defensive recruiter, and position coaches that are good recruiters, maybe that isn't a huge deal. But it's still a thing and everyone knows how Freeman feels about recruiting effort.

Lberry · Oct 18, 2023

Free Manera said:
Leonhard would be great schematically but there has been a lot of talk that he hates recruiting and doesn't particularly excel at it. With Freeman as the lead defensive recruiter, and position coaches that are good recruiters, maybe that isn't a huge deal. But it's still a thing and everyone knows how Freeman feels about recruiting effort.

Agree. I see Golden and Leonard as matches as far as coaching. Both have proven they can do it at the highest level, and also hear Leonard doesn't love recruiting.

But if he's simply a 20 year younger version of Golden, have to think he appeals a bit more to 17 year old kids, even if effort is "meh" much like AG.

Katzenboyer · Oct 18, 2023

Free Manera said:
Leonhard would be great schematically but there has been a lot of talk that he hates recruiting and doesn't particularly excel at it. With Freeman as the lead defensive recruiter, and position coaches that are good recruiters, maybe that isn't a huge deal. But it's still a thing and everyone knows how Freeman feels about recruiting effort.

I don't get the Leonhard love. His defenses went up against a bunch of soup can offenses in the B10 West.

He also runs a 3-4. He's not a schematic fit at all.

Jiggafini19Deux · Oct 18, 2023

Katzenboyer said:
I don't get the Leonhard love. His defenses went up against a bunch of soup can offenses in the B10 West.

He also runs a 3-4. He's not a schematic fit at all.

It's pretty easy to explain if you give it a second thought.

Green Mountains · Oct 18, 2023

Katzenboyer said:
It won't. There are better candidates and Al Golden stinks.

I just wanted to double check my memory about the current love for Al. From February....some were ready to run him out of town. I'm not singling out Katzenboyer...just that post captured a lot of the general feeling. Check out page 9 and 10.

Funny how things can change in 8 months. Sometimes it takes a hot minute for a change to sink in. Two things - 1) it's year two and players "got it" in camp; and 2) he simplified a bunch of stuff this year.

Katzenboyer · Oct 18, 2023

Green Mountains said:
I just wanted to double check my memory about the current love for Al. From February....some were ready to run him out of town. I'm not singling out Katzenboyer...just that post captured a lot of the general feeling. Check out page 9 and 10.

Funny how things can change in 8 months. Sometimes it takes a hot minute for a change to sink in. Two things - 1) it's year two and players "got it" in camp; and 2) he simplified a bunch of stuff this year.

I have come back to eat crow. Golden has surpassed my expectations and improved on my biggest complaints from last season (absolutely no red zone defense to speak of, failure to make stops on do-or-die drives against Marshall, Stanford, OSU, etc.).

He's still not a great recruiter and I hope whoever is next is more dynamic on that front, but I own up to my overreaction.

IrishSpartan · Oct 18, 2023

stlnd01 said:
Why is Leonard currently an analyst and not a coordinator?

A clause in his previous contract is that if he works as a coach this season he would forfeit over a million dollars

NDFAN2008 · Oct 18, 2023

It will probally be Mickens or the NC State DC

stlnd01 · Oct 18, 2023

IrishSpartan said:
A clause in his previous contract is that if he works as a coach this season he would forfeit over a million dollars

Well that explains it.

NDohio · Oct 18, 2023

Was reading an article on The Athletic and this little gem popped up:

12. James Madison is the best-kept secret in football, and we need to be talking more about them Dukes. They’re 6-0 and have a nasty defense. They beat an ACC team, Virginia, and won at Troy, a terrific Group of Five team. JMU leads the nation in rush defense, and by a lot; the Dukes are holding opponents to just 1.49 yards per carry. UCLA is next best, almost a full yard behind at 2.29. Penn State is third at 2.40. JMU led the country last year too.

Defensive coordinator Bryant Haines has had top-10 ranked defenses in each of his four seasons in both the FCS and now FBS since taking over the defense at JMU. What makes the defense so good? From talking to coaches in their new league, the Dukes have a very active, aggressive, twitchy D-line and a really smart group of linebackers that clean everything up. Haines, who played under Brady Hoke and Mark Smith at Ball State, also credits his time as an Ohio State staffer, learning more schematically from Mike Vrabel and Luke Fickell and then from Corey Hetherman, the Dukes’ DC when Haines was brought in as a co-DC.

I don't know if he was at OSU at the same time as MF, but might be an interesting name to have on the radar.

GATTACA! · Oct 18, 2023

IrishSpartan said:
A clause in his previous contract is that if he works as a coach this season he would forfeit over a million dollars

Im sure Swarbrick and co would be fine paying that buyout.

Jiggafini19Deux · Oct 19, 2023

NDohio said:
Was reading an article on The Athletic and this little gem popped up:

I don't know if he was at OSU at the same time as MF, but might be an interesting name to have on the radar.

The James Madison OC is pretty good too. I believe his name is Mike Shanahan, no relation to THE Mike Shanahan. James Madison is having a pretty good go compared to Sam Houston State now that they're FBS.

There will be guys that want to come to ND for OC and DC positions when the time comes. Al Golden wasn't really on anyone's radar, but here we are.

dublinirish · Oct 19, 2023

ab2cmiller said:
Son is a Senior at St. Xavier

damn old man Al really trying to make junior walk the hard road in life

CanadalovesND · Oct 19, 2023

If Lou Anarumo (Bengals DC) gets a head coaching job, I bet Golden is one of the first calls he makes for an interview.

NDohio · Oct 19, 2023

CanadalovesND said:
If Lou Anarumo (Bengals DC) gets a head coaching job, I bet Golden is one of the first calls he makes for an interview.

Yep, Al will instantly have two opportunities - the Bengals DC and being Lou's DC.

NDisme · Oct 20, 2023

Just never got the impression Al was going to be here more than a year or 2

Al Golden

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