Al Golden agreed to return to the Cincinnati Bengals on Wednesday after three seasons as Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator.

Following the now-concluded regime of former Bengals coordinator Lou Anarumo, Golden returns to Cincinnati a rejuvenated coach following a highly successful period as defensive coordinator of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Here are five things to know about Golden, his past influences and his latest work in the game.

Cincinnati is finalizing a deal to hire Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden to run its defense. Golden helped lead the Fighting Irish to Monday night’s College Football Playoff national championship game where they lost to Ohio State. He is expected to officially sign with the team on Thursday.

The Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator job has been open for more than two weeks now, but there hasn't been much movement on a possible hiring and now we know why: The team was waiting for Notre Dame to finish its season.

The Cincinnati Bengals are hiring former position coach Al Golden as their new defensive coordinator, NFL Network and ESPN reported Wednesday.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported the news: “The #Bengals are finalizing a deal with Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden, who is expected to be in Cincinnati on Thursday to officially sign on as DC, sources tell The Insiders.”

Former Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is the other. The Notre Dame defensive coordinator is preparing for Monday night's National Championship Game against Ohio State. That's a big reason why the Bengals' search felt like it came to a halt earlier this week.

Notre Dame defensive coordinator Al Golden responds to NFL rumors ahead of the CFP National Championship showdown against Ohio State. Could he be leaving South Bend for a return to the Bengals?