Notre Dame suits Washington and his family just fine
Calling it a “phenomenal experience,” Notre Dame football defensive line coach Al Washington reflected Wednesday on being one of three finalists for the head coaching job at Boston College, his alma mater.
Despite losing out to former NFL coach Bill O’Brien, Washington saw nothing but positives in a whirlwind process that concluded six weeks ago on Feb. 9.
“To be honest, man, it was so fast,” Washington said. “Things happened fast. It was great to think about the big picture and it was great to be connected with my old school. Obviously, the way I looked at it, I’m in a no-lose situation.”
Audrey Washington, the coach’s 6year-old daughter, was pleased with the outcome.
“My daughter was happy I didn’t get it, so, hey,” Washington said with a laugh. “It’s funny. When we found out, she said, ‘Good.’ I said, ‘OK.’ “
Washington and wife Melissa also have a young son, Michael.
“My family is happy here, so it wasn’t something where you go for broke,” Washington said. “But the reality is, yeah, that would have been a great opportunity too. I want to be great where I am. I want to continue to work on being a better coach, but if the stars align again, I’ll be better for it.”
Washington, 39, is entering his third season at Notre Dame, where he’s also defensive run-game coordinator. A standout defensive tackle at Boston College from 2002-05, Washington spent five seasons (2012-16) as an Eagles assistant with stints in all three phases of the game.
“We prepare every year,” he said. “In preparing for that (interview), I reflected on every stop I’ve had. That’s the mindset. Now you organize some things. We have great resources here. But who you are as a coach is largely due to the people you’ve been around.”
Washington’s resume includes stops at Cincinnati (2017), Michigan (2018) and Ohio State (2019-21).
“I’ve been fortunate to be around some really good ones, Marcus (Freeman) being one of them,” Washington said. “(The interview) went into my culture, my philosophy, the things that would be important to me. There were some late nights organizing and preparing, but it was great. I’m happy to be here and keep it moving.”