FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. − Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden is doing his best, he said here, to push his intertwined football past aside with this opponent, with this town.
This College Football Playoff semifinal in Thursday night’s Orange Bowl has brought him back to where he led the Miami Hurricanes as head coach for four seasons.
It’s brought him to face his alma mater, where he got his college football start playing and even coaching.
Golden wasn’t just a tight end and former Penn State football team captain. He helped the Nittany Lions produce one of their legendary victories − the upset of No. 1 Notre Dame in 1990. Golden caught the tying touchdown pass that day.
Since, he’s coached against his former mentor, Joe Paterno, when he led Temple. He even interviewed for the Penn State head coaching job that ultimately went to James Franklin a decade ago.
Upon arriving here in South Florida on Tuesday, Golden was asked over and again about his Penn State connections. During one point, Big Ten Network analyst and former PSU star Matt Millen, interrupted with a tap of his arm, a smile and a few words.
Golden answered each question patiently and thoughtfully.
From what it means to meet his old team on such a grand stage to what he still holds from playing under Paterno.
“The overarching lesson that’s always stayed with me is, if you take care of the person, the person will become what you want as an athlete,” Golden said. “Whether it’s the character development, the community service, being demanding academically, being disciplined. If you care about the player as a person, he’ll take care of the rest of the journey …”
He talked of what it’s like going against so many familiar faces. He played with Penn State assistant Terry Smith. He knows Penn State assistants Anthony Poindexter and Marques Hagans from coaching at Virginia.
Golden’s third career coaching stop, early on, was coaching linebackers at PSU in 2000.
“You never lose your friends,” he said. “I cherish the friendships we made, the memories we created, all of those things. What I learned along the way, those are things I think about.”
Like that big victory over the Fighting Irish in 1990? Golden laughed, saying that one is mostly brought up at Notre Dame alumni functions by long-remembering fans. It is remarkable, he acknowledged, that the team he helped beat back then is the one he is helping lift up so highly now.
Will Abdul Carter play in Orange Bowl? James Franklin gives an update on Penn State football edge rusher Abdul Carter
His PSU journey: From Haiti to Penn State football to the CFP: Why Smith Vilbert never ‘gave up.’
Golden has overseen the nation’s No. 2 scoring defense, No. 4 pass defense and No. 6 defense in yards allowed per game. Neither of Notre Dame’s first two playoff foes (Indiana and Georgia) managed 300 yards of offense in defeat.
Golden was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, given annually to the top assistant coach in college football.
But he must push aside the memories and even lessons, for now. He’s coaching for a shot at the national championship game. His three-day mission here is to plan to beat Penn State.
“When I tell you I can’t even breath nostalgia right now …,” he said with one more smile. “The whole way down here I was trying to figure how to stop (Penn State’s) two running backs, the tight end and the quarterback. That’s it. Trying to figure out (how to stop) what they do well.
“There’s no nostalgia,” for now, he said. “I promise you.”
Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: What Penn State football still means to Notre Dame’s Al Golden
