·       Prior Head Coaching Experience: Temple University (2006-2010) and University of Miami (2011-2015)

·       Alumni—Played (1988-1991), coached (2000), and graduated from Penn State (1991)

·       Now Coaching— He has NFL coaching experience with the Detroit Lions from 2016 to 2019. This complements his time in college. He is on his second tour with the Cincinnati Bengals this season. He now serves as the team’s defensive coordinator.

·       College playoff coaching experience–defensive coordinator for Notre Dame in the title game against Ohio State after the 2024 season.

·       Recruiting Process—known for his ability to recruit top talent. These talents do not have athletic skills but have high character on and off the field.    

Golden has adapted his efforts to the modern world of Name, Image, and Likeness. Not all veteran coaches have adjusted to this change. Some have chosen to exit the coaching game.

·       Culture Match: It was clear early on that he was not a cultural fit at Miami. He had other issues that seemed to have been forgotten. One was the Nevin Shapiro scandal. The school decided to sit out bowls even when they were eligible to lessen punishment.