When Notre Dame and Penn State meet in the Orange Bowl on Thursday night in Miami, the game will have nostalgic significance for Fighting Irish defensive coordinator Al Golden.

Golden returns to a venue he once called home – Hard Rock Stadium – where he served as head coach of the Miami Hurricanes from 2011 to 2015. To add to the intrigue, he will face his alma mater, Penn State.

Golden played tight end for the Nittany Lions during the 1990 and 1991 seasons under legendary, albeit controversial, head coach Joe Paterno. During his two years at Penn State, Golden recorded 17 receptions for 231 yards and two touchdowns.

When Golden spoke to the media on Tuesday, he was asked about the biggest lesson he learned from Paterno. His seemingly heartfelt response drew mixed reactions from fans and social media users given the circumstances surrounding Paterno’s departure from Penn State.

“The overarching lesson that always stuck with me is that if you take care of the person, they become what you want as an athlete,” Golden said. “So whether it’s character development, community service, academic standards, discipline, developing great habits, being a team player – all of it. And then if you care about the relationship, if you care about the player as a person lies, he will take care of the rest. He’s going to go down the path of becoming a really, really good football player. So the athlete part is the byproduct of everything else.”

Golden’s comments inevitably sparked heated debate online as many could not ignore the shadow cast by the scandal that marked the end of Paterno’s storied career. Paterno was fired in 2011 amid allegations that he and other university officials failed to respond to reports of child sexual abuse by assistant coach Jerry Sandusky. The scandal tarnished Paterno’s legacy and left his former players and staff struggling to cope.

Despite the controversy surrounding his former coach, Golden is widely considered one of the best assistant coaches in college football this season. His defense played a crucial role in Notre Dame’s advance to the semifinals of the College Football Playoff. On Thursday, Golden will look to shut down the Nittany Lions offense and help Notre Dame to its first national championship appearance since 2012.