What everyone has seen coming for days, even before the National Championship game, has reportedly happened. The Cincinnati Bengals are hiring Al Golden as their next defensive coordinator, creating a large hole to fill on the Notre Dame coaching staff as the Irish get ready to go back to work after coming up just short of the program’s 12th national championship. The search to replace Golden could be a relatively short one if Marcus Freeman wants to make an internal hire. Freeman is on the record saying secondary coach Mike Mickens is ready to be a defensive coordinator.