On Wednesday, the Fighting Irish announced Golden's replacement. According to ESPN's Pete Thamel, Notre Dame agreed to hire Chris Ash as its newest defensive coordinator.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is expected to join the Bengals in the same role, sources told ESPN's Pete Thamel on Wednesday. The news comes days after the Fighting Irish lost to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff championship game, the school's first title shot of the century.

Days after Al Golden left to become the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals, the Fighting Irish have hired former Rutgers coach Chris Ash to be their new defensive coordinator, according to ESPN's Pete Thamel. Ash has been in the NFL since the start of the 2021 season and worked as a scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2024.