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Report: 'Strong candidate' emerges for Notre Dame defensive coordinator job

IMG_7504by:Jack Soble•about 21 hours•

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chris ash
Former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash. (Raj Mehta-Imagn Images)

According to The Athletic’s Pete Sampson, former Rutgers head coach Chris Ash has “emerged as a strong candidate” for Notre Dame’s vacant defensive coordinator job.

Ash has been an FBS defensive coordinator at Wisconsin, Arkansas and Texas. He was also a co-defensive coordinator at Ohio State.

Ash finished his Rutgers career with an 8-32 record. Most recently, he was the defensive backs coach with the Las Vegas Raiders. He last coached in 2023, and he last coached in college in 2020.

Notre Dame’s defensive coordinator job opened when Al Golden, who had been with the Irish since Marcus Freeman became head coach ahead of the 2022 season, left for the same job with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Ash’s most obvious connection to Freeman is his time at Ohio State. He was co-DCs with Freeman’s boss at Cincinnati, current Wisconsin head coach Luke Fickell, in Columbus, Ohio.

In his most recent tour of duty as a defensive coordinator, with Texas in 2020, Ash led the No. 61 scoring defense at 28.5 points per game. The Longhorns were more stingy than that number indicates under his direction, finishing at No. 27 in rushing yards per carry against (3.63) and tied for No. 31 in passing yards per attempt (6.8).

When Texas fired former head coach Tom Herman and hired current head coach Steve Sarkesian, the latter opted not to retain Ash. He then moved to the NFL, where he coached with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.

While not the exact same path, Ash’s career arc runs similarly to Golden’s in multiple ways. Both were longtime college assistants who earned Power 4 head coaching jobs, which did not go well, before switching gears and turning to the NFL.

UPDATE: Per Football Scoop, Irish ‘targeting’ Ash as next DC

According to Football Scoop’s John Brice, Freeman is targeting Ash as Notre Dame’s next defensive coordinator. Brice wrote that the Irish also hope to retain defensive backs coach Mike Mickens as co-defensive coordinator.

Brice also wrote that Ash spent the 2024 season as a pro scout with the Jaguars.

Chris Ash career arc: Notre Dame’s next defensive coordinator?

  • 1997: Drake (graduate assistant)
  • 1998-99: Drake (defensive coordinator)
  • 2000-01: Iowa State (graduate assistant)
  • 2002-05: Iowa State (defensive backs coach)
  • 2006: Iowa State (defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator)
  • 2007-08: San Diego State (defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator)
  • 2009: Iowa State (defensive backs coach/recruiting coordinator)
  • 2010: Wisconsin (defensive backs coach)
  • 2011-12: Wisconsin (defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach)
  • 2013: Arkansas (defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach)
  • 2014-15: Ohio State (co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach)
  • 2016-19: Rutgers (head coach)
  • 2019: Texas (defensive analyst)
  • 2020: Texas (defensive coordinator)
  • 2021: Jacksonville Jaguars (safeties coach)
  • 2022-23: Las Vegas Raiders (defensive backs coach)

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