Al Golden

Al Golden

Alfred James Golden (born July 4, 1969) is an American football coach, former NFL player, and the current head coach of the Temple Owls football team, having held that position since 2005. He previously served for 5 years as defensive coordinator at the University of Virginia.

Coaching

Golden began his coaching career in 1993 as offensive coordinator at Red Bank Catholic High School in Red Bank, New Jersey. He then served as a graduate assistant under George Welsh at University of Virginia from 1994 to 1996, where he worked primarily with the linebackers and special teams. He helped develop All-ACC linebackers James Farrior and Jamie Sharper, both of whom were chosen in the 1997 NFL draft. He then coached linebackers at Boston College from 1997 to 1999 under Tom O'Brien. While at Boston College, Golden coached All-Big East and linebackers Frank Chamberlin and Erik Storz. The Eagles finished the 1999 regular season with an 8-3 record and a top-25 national ranking, while making their first postseason bowl appearance since 1994.

Named defensive coordinator by Virginia head coach Al Groh in 2001, Golden became the youngest defensive coordinator in Division I-A. He had spent the previous season at his alma mater, Penn State University, serving as linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator under Joe Paterno. From 2001 to 2004, the Cavaliers’ defense improved under his tutelage, ranking 108th in total defense in his first year to ranking 18th in total defense in 2004. In the same time period, Virginia’s scoring defense went from 74th in the nation (27.6 ppg) to 17th (17.7 ppg) utilizing Golden’s 3-4 scheme.

Golden was named head football coach at Temple University in December 2005, as the second-youngest head coach in NCAA football at that time, behind Northwestern's Pat Fitzgerald. Temple had a record of 3-31 during the three years before Golden was hired. As Head Coach of the Temple Owls, Golden currently has a 10-26 record.

Golden was interviewed for the vacant head coach position at UCLA in December 2007. However, he withdrew his name from consideration on December 26th, 2007, choosing to stay with the up and coming Temple program.

Record

Year	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Bowl/playoffs	Coaches#	AP°
Temple Owls (Division FBS Independent) (2006)
2006	Temple	1–11				—	—
Temple Owls (Mid-American Conference) (2007–present)
2007	Temple	4–8	4–4	T-4th (East)		—	—
2008	Temple	5–7	4–4	3rd (East)		—	—
Temple:		10–26	8–8
Total:		10–26
National championship         Conference title         Conference division title or championship game berth
†Indicates Bowl Coalition, Bowl Alliance, BCS, or CFP / New Years' Six bowl. #Rankings from final Coaches Poll. °Rankings from final AP Poll.

College

Golden was a three-year (1989-91) letterwinner at tight end for Penn State, where he received the 1991 Ridge Riley Award, given annually to a player who displays excellence in scholarship, sportsmanship, friendship and leadership. As a junior in 1990, Golden played a key role in Penn State's nationally-televised 24-21 upset of No. 1-ranked Notre Dame at South Bend. His touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter tied the score at 21 as Penn State rallied from a 21-7 deficit. Golden was named captain of the Nittany Lions his senior year and helped lead them to a 42-17 win over University of Tennessee in the 1992 Fiesta Bowl, an 11-2 record, and a #3 ranking in the final 1991 AP Poll.

NFL

He spent one season in the NFL with the New England Patriots.

Personal

Golden earned his undergraduate degree in pre-law from Pennsylvania State University in 1991 before receiving his master’s in sports psychology from the University of Virginia in December, 1996. A 2004 inductee of the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame, he is married to Kelly Elizabeth Hanna of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania and has a son, A.J., and a daughter, Addison.

Brett Senior was the worst agent ever to walk the face of the work.

External links

• Golden named Temple head football coach Temple Times, December 8, 2005
• Al Golden biography, Temple University Athletic Department
• "Temple tackles its losing ways", ESPN.com, November 8, 2006
• "A touch of Happy Valley in Philly", The Morning Call, November 9, 2007