Golden was a three-year (1989–1991) letter winner and tight end for Penn State,[2] 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 #1-ranked Notre Dame in 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 Tennessee in the 1992 Fiesta Bowl, an 11–2 record, and a #3 ranking in the final 1991 AP Poll.

Following the 2009 season, he was a candidate for the head coaching position at Cincinnati vacated by Brian Kelly, who departed for Notre Dame.

[8] In press conference remarks upon his hiring on December 13, 2010, Golden emphasized the importance of the University of Miami football legacy.

However, due to NCAA rules, Golden did not coach the football team in Miami's bowl game against Notre Dame but instead focused on recruiting players for 2011.

[14] Despite being bowl-eligible, Miami announced on November 20 that it was withdrawing from bowl consideration due to an ongoing investigation into the program's ties to convicted Ponzi schemer Nevin Shapiro.

Golden's team was invited to the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl, which the Canes lost 36–9 at the hands of future ACC foe Louisville.

The Hurricanes began the season with a 6–3 record, but lost their next four games beginning with a heartbreaking home loss to defending national champions Florida State and concluding with an uninspired defeat at the hands of South Carolina in the Duck Commander Independence Bowl.

[18] Even Florida State fans got in on the act, attempting to raise money for their own "Keep Al Golden" banner with a GoFundMe campaign.

[19] Other reports suggested that Florida State and Miami officials pressured the campaign's manager to not fly the banner out of respect for the coach.

[22] After being identified as a 7-point home underdog to Clemson in Week 8, many in national media picked Miami to have a good chance at covering the spread and possibly even upset the Tigers.

[23] This then led the University of Miami athletic director Blake James to dismiss Golden as head coach, only a day after the loss.

[28] On February 16, 2022,[29] Golden was announced as the new defensive coordinator at Notre Dame, serving under recently promoted head coach Marcus Freeman.

[33] A native of Colts Neck, New Jersey,[2] Golden graduated from Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank, New Jersey,[34] and earned his undergraduate degree in pre-law from Pennsylvania State University in 1991[2] before receiving his master's in sports psychology from the University of Virginia in December 1996.

[2] A 2004 inductee of the Jersey Shore Sports Hall of Fame,[2] he is married to Kelly Elizabeth Hanna of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and has a son, A.J.