Chris "Belt To" Ash - Defensive Coordinator

[BoredIrish]

Should we start dreading Ash trying to defend Navy’s triple option or will it be too late by then & we’re looking at a 2016 redux? Golden gave up 34 pts in his first meeting vs Navy as ND DC & it wasn’t a comfortable win by any stretch. Love MF but he continues to take two steps forward and one step back.

Why is there not a "Navy DC" consultant who you can hire for one week a year who specializes in defending the triple option?

 

[BoredIrish]

Listening to Trey Biddy on Arkansas 247 pod and he echoes what we ND fans have all asked, “What the hell had Chris Ash ever done?” Called him one of the most overrated coaches in CFB & it’s hard to argue that. His one anomaly was a NC at OSU. So he didn’t screw up a situation where he walked into one of the best defenses in the nation...congrats. And sadly, when he’s no longer at ND; he’ll retire because he just scammed one more coordinator contract and is set for life.

FIFY

 

[Dale]

Why is there not a "Navy DC" consultant who you can hire for one week a year who specializes in defending the triple option?

That’s basically Freeman:

2017 vs Navy: 42 points
2018 vs Navy: 0 points
2020 vs Army: 10 points
2021 vs Navy: 6 points
2022 vs Navy: 32 points
2023 vs Navy: 3 points
2024 vs Navy: 14 points
2024 vs Army: 14 points

The triple has only gotten Freeman once since his first time facing it. Was Golden’s Year 1. I guess we will see how Ash Year 1 goes.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Good morning.

Go Irish. Beat our inner most anxieties. Then Beat Canes.

0-2 on this post.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Reliable Source:

- Ash has installed his defense, but with Golden/Freeman fingerprints all over it

- Not constant/heavy blitzing, but will find other ways to be aggressive, including heavy man coverage

- Will use zone coverage, but selectively

- Preaches certain core principals and fundamentals of his system… but encourages freelancing and trusting instincts on occasion

- Players adapting well to his personality and coaching style. He’s known as a dude that gets fired up and coaches players hard, but time has mellowed him out a bit

- There will be some hiccups… but generally expect defense to be elite again, with minimal to zero dropoff because of both the coaching staff and because of elite athletes all over

8/14/25

What the fuck happened?

Feels like everyone got this wrong in the end. I still maintain that if Ash were really bad, Fickell would have had to have told Freeman to steer clear at all costs.

 

[PolishDomer]

8/14/25

What the fuck happened?

Feels like everyone got this wrong in the end. I still maintain that if Ash were really bad, Fickell would have had to have told Freeman to steer clear at all costs.

 

[PutuporShutup]

That’s basically Freeman:

2017 vs Navy: 32 points
2018 vs Navy: 0 points
2020 vs Army: 10 points
2021 vs Navy: 6 points
2022 vs Navy: 32 points
2023 vs Navy: 3 points
2024 vs Navy: 14 points
2024 vs Army: 14 points

The triple has only gotten Freeman once since his first time facing it. Was Golden’s Year 1. I guess we will see how Ash Year 1 goes.

Freeman gave up 42 and lost to Navy in 2017.

The big change ND as a program made I believe in 2017 was to have a full time walk on scout team and grad assistant focused only on the triple option.

Also, in 2022 interior cut blocking was eliminated. That was HUGE.

 

[ab2cmiller]

8/14/25

What the fuck happened?

Feels like everyone got this wrong in the end. I still maintain that if Ash were really bad, Fickell would have had to have told Freeman to steer clear at all costs.

The "bedwetters" were right all along. Damn you sunshine pumpers.

 

[NDWarrior]

Just hoping that with MF when/if required, along w/ a possibility of MM to start getting involved in D play calling (try out for formal promotion?), and where Ash is transitioned out end of season, again, if required, ND will get the D figured out over the season's progression.

More than scheme and play calling, it just seems that Ash doesn't inspire the D to go to battle for him, that he is not a likable guy like Golden, and that may never get fixed.

But I'm with a big dose of "In Freeman we trust" thinking that it works out one way or another as outlined here, and like last year, but flipped, the strong, potent D led by Carr, gives the D the opportunity to develop and find its groove, so that like last year, by the time the playoff arrives (assuming we win out under this plan), the D is kicking on all cylinders and we enter the playoffs as a formidable CFP opponent, and a contender to win it all!! 🍀🍀🍀

 

[NDpendent]

Is it too early in the game to bump this thread?

 

[ColoradoIrish]

Leave his ass is Fayetteville

 

[TNUtoNotreDame]

Is it too early in the game to bump this thread?

BVG without the stache. Never too early.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

Make him walk home playing the banjo music from deliverance

 

[NumbersGuy0520]

It’s strange watching these games with this guy at the helm. Especially sitting at 1-2 and with what we’re now seeing against Arkansas.

Like… the margin of error to make playoffs is so incredibly slim. We need to win every game. But our defense can’t stop a nosebleed and so you almost expect that we will definitely drop one because otherwise we will need like 30+ per game.

 

[FOTY977]

Thank goodness this is a sloppy team because this defense is awash with opportunities to make plays against

 

[ndcoltsfan2010]

We are messed up! Our Defense is absolute trash!!!

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

Devil's advocate: Ash's defense is slowly getting better. It was bad luck to break in a new quarterback, install a complicated defense that will take half the year to master, and played the two toughest games on the schedule to open.


Then they only lost by four points total with the defense having chances to put both games away with routine ints in the end zone they dropped or misplayed. This team is going to be a fucking monster by November.

 

[FOTY977]

Devil's advocate: Ash's defense is slowly getting better. It was bad luck to break in a new quarterback, install a complicated defense that will take half the year to master, and played the two toughest games on the schedule to open.


Then they only lost by four points total with the defense having chances to put both games away with routine ints in the end zone they dropped or misplayed. This team is going to be a fucking monster by November.

I could be convinced on most of those minus “breaking in the QB” CJ has been ready to ball since day 1.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

I could be convinced on most of those minus “breaking in the QB” CJ has been ready to ball since day 1.

He was, but they called the game in Miami like he wasn't.

 

[IrishLax]

Is it too early in the game to bump this thread?

He's still got 8 more points of breathing room to earn his name back

 

[jprue24]

My favorite things is to stay away from this board for days at a time during the season because I come back to shit like Kris Trash

 

[T-Boone]

D not too bad in first half. Adon and Bobacar with some big plays. Pass rush is still blah.

 

[MacIrish75]

Don’t let this mislead you from the fact that Trash is still trash.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

D not too bad in first half. Adon and Bobacar with some big plays. Pass rush is still blah.

They need to stunt on pass plays. It seems like they've created pressure each time it was attempted the last two weeks.

 

[Jimmy3Putt]

If we even get there, our DL is not gonna be serviceable in he playoffs no matter what.

I've seen a lot of championship games be track meets.

 

[NDVirginia19]

He's still got 8 more points of breathing room to earn his name back

Maybe even earn the venerated title of Gangsta

 

[MacIrish75]

 

[IrishLax]

1 more quarter to start the Chris Ash Redemption Tour

 

[MacIrish75]

1 more quarter to start the Chris Ash Redemption Tour

If they stay under 20 I vote a move to Chris Trash.

 

[NDVirginia19]

If they stay under 20 I vote a move to Chris Trash.

Baby steps, I concur!