Cincinnati is finalizing a deal to hire Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden to run its defense. Golden helped lead the Fighting Irish to Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game where they lost to Ohio State. He is expected to officially sign with the team on Thursday.

Cincinnati Bengals head coach Zac Taylor is a bit more experienced now compared to the last time he had to hire a defensive coordinator. Taylor and the Bengals are currently going through potential candidates for the position Lou Anarumo was fired from last week after Taylor hired him nearly six years last ago.

Al Golden agreed to return to the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday after three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator job has been open for more than two weeks now, but there hasn't been much movement on a possible hiring and now we know why: The team was waiting for Notre Dame to finish its season.

The Cincinnati Bengals plan to hire a new defensive coordinator with Al Golden this week, yet the process has come under fire. While Zac Taylor and the Bengals’ familiarity with Golden and vice versa is a good thing and might be the right fit right now, it’s hard to blame those onlookers who feel that the process itself was an issue.