ND Defensive Coordinator search- 2025

[Jiggafini19Deux]

It certainly can be reflection on his ability and the job offers, but his resume post national champion at OSU is like how not to choose your next job:

- Wins a Natty at OSU
- Takes a job you can’t win at (Rutgers)
- Takes a job with a hot seat head coach (Texas)

Basically torpedoed his trajectory

This is the one I'm concerned with. You know who else did this and completely ruined his career? Bob Diaco.

Ash went to Texas because he'd already worked with Herman. That's a tale as old as time with college football hiring. Still, I know most of these guys love the challenge and believe they're going to be the ones who turn things around at places like UConn and Rutgers, but you can still be smart with your career and have some semblance of patience when it comes to waiting for the right thing.

With that being said, it's why I'm not entirely pessimistic about him coming in and being able to succeed at Notre Dame. What concerns me are the reports about how he treats players and his personality. If it's another Chip Long situation, that dog won't hunt for fans or anyone else for that matter.

 

[EvilleIrish]

The biggest concern of this is that we aren't competing against anyone at all (besides an unemployment check) for the services of Chris Ash.

 

[IrishWayDomer]

The biggest concern of this is that we aren't competing against anyone at all (besides an unemployment check) for the services of Chris Ash.

Chris *Ass.

 

[forkbeard3777]

I know a defensive minded coach that (1) recruits at an elite level and (2) was a former head coach like Golden and Chris Ash, but unlike them, he won assembled the GOAT team and won a natty.

Make it happen, Freeman.

 

[Kingbish01]

Been in Breckenridge skiing for the last few days, so I'm just getting caught up. Chris Ash?? Wow, congrats to PSU making great hires to get over the hump though 🙄

 

[AKRowdy]

I know a defensive minded coach that (1) recruits at an elite level and (2) was a former head coach like Golden and Chris Ash, but unlike them, he won assembled the GOAT team and won a natty.

Make it happen, Freeman.

I mean… I’m not against getting Coach O as the DC of Our Lady. Does he come with too much baggage? But I think you definitely reach out to him.

 

[KPENN]

So probably out interviewing elsewhere?

Could be interviewing/finishing up hiring process with ND

 

[Dale]

Could be headed towards the Craps table in Vegas with his new bonus

 

[Huntr]

I mean… I’m not against getting Coach O as the DC of Our Lady. Does he come with too much baggage? But I think you definitely reach out to him.

Dude. Yes. A ton.


Good Lord.

 

[thekid33]

Dude. Yes. A ton.


Good Lord.

Have him to go to confession.

 

[forkbeard3777]

I mean… I’m not against getting Coach O as the DC of Our Lady. Does he come with too much baggage? But I think you definitely reach out to him.

He would be banging some of the Board of Trustees’ wives

 

[Huntr]

He would be banging some of the Board of Trustees’ wives

On a mountain of coke.

 

[jpachuta33]

It certainly can be reflection on his ability and the job offers at hand, but his resume post national champion at OSU is like how not to choose your next job:

- Wins a Natty at OSU
- Takes a job you can’t win at (Rutgers)
- Takes a job with a hot seat head coach (Texas)

Basically torpedoed his trajectory

True… however look at Clark Lea. He has talent that is comparable to Rutgers and he’s been killing it. A lot of people would say you can’t win at Vandy, but yet he is.

& Let’s be real, the 2014 success he had at OSU is a bit misconstrued. He was co defensive coordinator and I have read that he didn’t even call the defensive plays. OSU fans only rave about him being a good coach on tackling, that’s it. Regardless, if he was such an asset to that Ohio State team, wouldn’t you think they would have had him back on staff already? They have had numerous defensive openings in the past eleven years.

 

[Bane]

I'm not the least concerned about a guys success as a HC. Way to many variables come into play in determining a HC's success as evidenced by all of the successful OC/DC's that failed as a HC.

Keep in mind, that we've not really heard anything to the effect that Ash is the leading candidate. It could be as simple as Tressel recommending MF have a phone call with Ash to see if there is enough of a fit to be considered.

Steve Spagnuolo was an awful NFL HC, truly terrible. But, he is an elite DC for Kansas City no doubt. Not saying Ash is going to be the same if we hire him, but to your point, success or failure as a HC doesn't really portend anything for future success as a coordinator.

 

[Dale]

True… however look at Clark Lea. He has talent that is comparable to Rutgers and he’s been killing it. A lot of people would say you can’t win at Vandy, but yet he is.

& Let’s be real, the 2014 success he had at OSU is a bit misconstrued. He was co defensive coordinator and I have read that he didn’t even call the defensive plays. OSU fans only rave about him being a good coach on tackling, that’s it. Regardless, if he was such an asset to that Ohio State team, wouldn’t you think they would have had him back on staff already? They have had numerous defensive openings in the past eleven years.

Rutgers is an exponentially worse job than Vandy, especially in the Big Ten East days. Lea went to Vandy, Ash did not go to Rutgers.

 

[Bane]

True… however look at Clark Lea. He has talent that is comparable to Rutgers and he’s been killing it. A lot of people would say you can’t win at Vandy, but yet he is.

& Let’s be real, the 2014 success he had at OSU is a bit misconstrued. He was co defensive coordinator and I have read that he didn’t even call the defensive plays. OSU fans only rave about him being a good coach on tackling, that’s it. Regardless, if he was such an asset to that Ohio State team, wouldn’t you think they would have had him back on staff already? They have had numerous defensive openings in the past eleven years.

Well to be fair, it sounds like, if we hire him, it would be in a similar role as that 2014 OSU team, so maybe it's not so bad. Tackling left a lot to be desired towards the end of the year.

 

[Ndaccountant]

I wonder if this pushback will have a Schiano UT type impact.

 

[Terry Jillery]

Make Mickens the DC. Make Ass the tackling coach?

 

[Dale]

That’s debatable. Rutgers from 2005-2009 under Schiano had a run that Vandy has never experienced before. Throw in Vandy’s academic standards and being in the SEC, I’d think winning would be more difficult at Vandy.

Anyways, this is beside the point…
The point is Chris Ash is Grade-A dog shit.

Yeah Big East Rutgers versus Big Ten East Rutgers are pretty drastically different. South Florida had some good years there too lol

 

[IrishWayDomer]

Urban Meyer, for what it's worth:

"The top coordinator hire, to me, in all of college football was Chris Ash," Meyer said. "He's one of the best coaches I've ever been around. What he'll give to the Texas staff, he's been a head coach. He was much more than a defensive coordinator. He was our defensive coordinator the year we won a national championship. I hired him. He came in and changed a lot of things on defense. Brought in rugby tackling. But beyond that, every player issue with things, I would always lean on him. He's that good of a coach. He's, by far, the best coordinator hire of the year. They've recruited well. I don't know if they've recruited elite, but they've recruited well. You put Chris Ash, and I've talked to him a couple times, he's impressed with the personnel on defense. I think we'll see big-time improvement on Texas' defense."

Urban Meyer believes Texas made best coordinator hire of offseason by bringing in Chris Ash

Meyer has some high praise for Ash.

saturdaytradition.com

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I wonder if this pushback will have a Schiano UT type impact.

Not exactly company I'd like to keep

 

[Irish#1]

I know a defensive minded coach that (1) recruits at an elite level and (2) was a former head coach like Golden and Chris Ash, but unlike them, he won assembled the GOAT team and won a natty.

Make it happen, Freeman.

Don't think there's enough hot coeds at ND to attract him.

 

[china423]

 

[EvilleIrish]

Still not official fellas… maybe it’s not a done deal like insiders think? 🤞🏻

They wouldn't be writing the articles they are if it wasn't a done deal IMO

 

[ThePiombino]

They wouldn't be writing the articles they are if it wasn't a done deal IMO

Someone get Chris Ash to a hockey game before it's too late and the ink dries!

 

[IrishTusker]

Maybe OSU will hire Ash and then everyone will be mad that we didn't get him.

 

[dankgesang]

This is the one I'm concerned with. You know who else did this and completely ruined his career? Bob Diaco.

Ash went to Texas because he'd already worked with Herman. That's a tale as old as time with college football hiring. Still, I know most of these guys love the challenge and believe they're going to be the ones who turn things around at places like UConn and Rutgers, but you can still be smart with your career and have some semblance of patience when it comes to waiting for the right thing.

With that being said, it's why I'm not entirely pessimistic about him coming in and being able to succeed at Notre Dame. What concerns me are the reports about how he treats players and his personality. If it's another Chip Long situation, that dog won't hunt for fans or anyone else for that matter.

Also didn't help Bob that he was crazier than two rats fucking in a wool sock. Actually I think that's "hotter than two rats fucking in a wool sock." Anyway, the point is Bob Diaco is like what you would get if Weyland Yutani put their entire android R&D budget into hair.

 

[IrishWayDomer]

Maybe OSU will hire Ash and then everyone will be mad that we didn't get him.

Not ashamed to admit I'd do exactly that lol.

 

[BilboBaggins]

It certainly can be reflection on his ability and the job offers at hand, but his resume post national champion at OSU is like how not to choose your next job:

- Wins a Natty at OSU
- Takes a job you can’t win at (Rutgers)
- Takes a job with a hot seat head coach (Texas)

Basically torpedoed his trajectory

1) brought in by Urban Meyer to be Co-DC with Fickell.
2) takes Rutgers job for $11 million, gets canned
3) hired by Texas' Tom Herman (OC at OSU when he was there), Herman and staff get canned.
4) goes to NFL as DB coach, canned when new staff was brought in

Nothing there screams "bad coach." It sounds like Freeman is getting recommendations from Tressel and Fickell that Ash is a legit Co-DC option.

Typically, a coach good enough in the eyes of Tressel, Fickell, and Meyer is good enough for big time FBS football.

Does that mean he's a good fit for ND? I don't know. But some posters are acting like he's an unemployable bottom-of-the-barrel fringe-HS coach, and that's not what I see here.

 

[BilboBaggins]

My college roommate is as big of an OSU fan as they come, said Ash made the DB calls within Fickell's defense. Ash drastically improved DB play during his time at OSU, and OSU fans were sad to see him leave for Rutgers.