Notre Dame Bob Hinton Defensive Coordinator Al Golden has been nominated for the 2024 Broyles Award, recognizing the college football’s most outstanding assistant coach.
Golden is one of the top defensive coordinators in the nation, orchestrating one of the nation’s top defenses in 2023 and 2024. In addition to returning veterans under his tutelage such as 2023 unanimous All-American Xavier Watts and 2023 second-team All-American Howard Cross III, 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.
Eight Irish defensive players have made their first-career starts in 2024. The defense has lost three starters to season-long injuries, and the unit has not skipped a beat.
Notre Dame’s 2024 defense is dominant and one of the most complete defenses in the country, ranking among the FBS’ top teams. Notre Dame 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).
Golden has coached his players to hold seven opponents to 125 or fewer passing yards this season, the most instances among all FBS programs this season.
Golden’s defense has created game-changing opportunities for Notre Dame, as the Irish lead the nation in turnovers gained (26). The Irish have earned 127 points off of turnovers this season, compared to their opponents’ 27 total (+100 point differential).
Notre Dame is the only FBS team to have held each opponent to under 24 points in every game this season. In addition, Notre Dame has held opponents to 250 or fewer yards of offense in six games this season, tied for the most in FBS.
The Irish have allowed one or fewer touchdowns on six occasions this season (four games with two TDs allowed, one with three). In three of those two-TD games, the second touchdown was scored late in the fourth quarter, once the game was already put away for the Irish.
This season, the Irish have held 10 opponents to 16 or fewer points, and no opponent has scored 30 points yet. That is the best since 2012 when Notre Dame held 10 opponents under 16 points and just one opponent (Alabama in championship game) reached 30 points.
Notre Dame has the most ranked wins of any FBS team this season with four. No other team has more than three in 2024, and Notre Dame owns the best record against ranked teams in the FBS, going 4-0.
Dick Corbett Head Football Coach Marcus Freeman was a finalist for the Broyles Award in 2020 while at Cincinnati, while John and Bobbie Arlotte Offensive Coordinator/Tight Ends Coach Mike Denbrock was a finalist for the honor in 2023 at LSU.