Al Golden
A defensive-minded coach who engineered dramatic turnarounds at Temple and Miami, building his reputation on discipline and detailed preparation.
Born 1969 (age 57)·American football player and coach·Birthday: July 4·Generation X
Biography
Al Golden’s coaching path is a study in program rehabilitation. A former tight end at Penn State under Joe Paterno, he cut his teeth as a defensive coordinator before taking on the monumental task of leading Temple University’s football team in 2006. The Owls were arguably the worst program in major college football, but Golden instilled a tough, defensive identity that transformed them into a bowl-eligible team, a feat that seemed impossible. This rebuild caught the attention of the University of Miami, a storied program mired in NCAA scandal and underperformance when he arrived in 2011. His tenure there was defined by navigating severe sanctions while trying to restore the Hurricanes’ swagger, achieving mixed results on the field but stabilizing the roster. After his college head coaching chapters, Golden returned to his defensive roots in the NFL, where his systematic approach led to a Super Bowl LVI appearance as the Cincinnati Bengals' defensive coordinator.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Al was born in 1969, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Al Was Born
The biggest hits of 1969
#1 Movie
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Best Picture
Midnight Cowboy
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Al's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1969Born
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1974Started school
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1982Became a teenager
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Could drive
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1987Could vote
Black Monday stock market crash
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $72,400Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Walk Like an Egyptian" — The BanglesBest Picture: The Last Emperor
1990Turned 21
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1999Turned 30
Columbine shooting; Y2K panic builds
Gas: $1.17/galHome: $113,900Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Believe" — CherBest Picture: American Beauty
2009Turned 40
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
2019Turned 50
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 57 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Led the Temple Owls to their first bowl game in 32 years in 2009, the EagleBank Bowl.
- Won the 2010 MAC Coach of the Year award for Temple's turnaround.
- Served as head coach of the Miami Hurricanes football program from 2011 to 2015.
- As defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals, helped guide the team to Super Bowl LVI in the 2021 season.
Did You Know?
He was a team captain for the Penn State Nittany Lions football team in 1991.
Golden began his coaching career as a linebackers coach at the University of Virginia in 1994.
He is one of a small group of coaches to have been a head coach in both the Big East and ACC conferences.
During his time at Miami, the program played under the cloud of a major NCAA investigation into improper benefits.
“We're going to build this program on toughness, accountability, and discipline.”
