Chris "Belt To" Ash - Defensive Coordinator

NDPhilly · Oct 18, 2026

IMO Brice is the most plugged in guy on the beat due to his relationship with coaches around the country. If he is putting that out publicly then it’s because it’s what he’s been told by other pros in the industry.

Brutal stuff.

Plankton · Oct 18, 2026

I guess he's back to being Chris Ass, huh?

IA4irish · Oct 18, 2026

NDPhilly said:
IMO Brice is the most plugged in guy on the beat due to his relationship with coaches around the country. If he is putting that out publicly then it’s because it’s what he’s been told by other pros in the industry.

Brutal stuff.

I believe Brice has a place out near Provo. He’s pretty plugged in with the byu program as well. He flat out stated during this week there is no way byu should be able to keep up with Notre dame. Brice knows that was a coaching disaster last night

Bane · Oct 18, 2026

DomeFieldAdvantage said:
100%. Al Golden said how you can't wait until halftime to make adjustments. You need to do it after each drive. Chris Ash doesn't do that.

I wonder if part of it is that Golden had relatively simple plans. If the defense is consistently giving up yards and points, it means the plan isn't working so you need to change the plan.

With Ash and his more complex defenses, its easy enough to blame a bad drive or two on busted coverages, guys getting beat, or the offense just having the right play called. You spend time on the sideline trying to fix these small things and prepare for the next chess match, but don't realize when the underlying plan isn't working.

It's like he doesn't have a good feel for the game. Like in the UNC game where we turn the ball over on downs and they're backed up to their 3 yard line. Freeman probably goes for that fourth down thinking we'd be aggressive, but then Ash has the defense come out super conservatively.

It often feels as though neither of coordinators do. It's like they can't sense the moment whatsoever. Denbrock starting three drives after huge game changing plays by ST and defense with runs straight up the gut into loaded boxes is one example. As someone else pointed out, us going for it on 4th and goal against UNC probably expecting Ash to go balls to the wall with UNC pinned on their own goal line, only for Ash to come out in the softest defense that would make Ed Donatell blush is another.

Dale · Oct 18, 2026

DomeFieldAdvantage said:
100%. Al Golden said how you can't wait until halftime to make adjustments. You need to do it after each drive. Chris Ash doesn't do that.

I wonder if part of it is that Golden had relatively simple plans. If the defense is consistently giving up yards and points, it means the plan isn't working so you need to change the plan.

With Ash and his more complex defenses, its easy enough to blame a bad drive or two on busted coverages, guys getting beat, or the offense just having the right play called. You spend time on the sideline trying to fix these small things and prepare for the next chess match, but don't realize when the underlying plan isn't working.

It's like he doesn't have a good feel for the game. Like in the UNC game where we turn the ball over on downs and they're backed up to their 3 yard line. Freeman probably goes for that fourth down thinking we'd be aggressive, but then Ash has the defense come out super conservatively.

Louisville, USC and Ohio State also shredded us in 2024.

They dominated IU at home, otherwise Georgia (with Gunner), Penn State and Texas A&M were pretty awful offenses.

Dale · Oct 18, 2026

I don’t think he’ll be fired, but he probably gets a job elsewhere à la Porker.

Dale · Oct 18, 2026

IA4irish said:
I believe Brice has a place out near Provo. He’s pretty plugged in with the byu program as well. He flat out stated during this week there is no way byu should be able to keep up with Notre dame. Brice knows that was a coaching disaster last night

Brice makes two houses type money? Damn

arrowryan · Oct 18, 2026

If Bruce is saying that, that makes me think something could be happening behind closed doors. Good time for a bye week.

Dale · Oct 18, 2026

FWIrish4 said:
Are we missing Bullough more than we thought? Maybe he had some responsibility with the defense getting turned around last year with game planning, specifically the pressures.

Something changed at the end of Purdue last year, where the pressure and stunts got dialed back up to what were used to with Golden. For some reason it feels like we’re back to pre-Purdue 2025 level of just rushing 4 and hoping for pressure.

Ash has good third down packages. The issue is they were rarely in third and 7+

First drive longest distance was third and 5, third drive longest was third and 6, fourth drive longest was third and one. That was the first half.

Third and 8 = punt
Third and 7 = punt
Third and 7 = punt

They didn’t convert one third down over 6 yards. The issue in the first half was entirely early down execution letting them stay on schedule way too easily.

NDPhilly · Oct 18, 2026

Didn’t Parker effectively get demoted mid-year in 2023? Or am I making that up?

NDPhilly · Oct 18, 2026

Dale said:
Louisville, USC and Ohio State also shredded us in 2024.

They dominated IU at home, otherwise Georgia (with Gunner), Penn State and Texas A&M were pretty awful offenses.

Yeah I do think it’s worth remembering that great offense beats great defense in college football. Saban talks about it a lot that’s its the reason he pivoted his scheme to be more pass heavy later in his tenure at Alabama.

Bane · Oct 18, 2026

Dale said:
Ash has good third down packages. The issue is they were rarely in third and 7+

First drive longest distance was third and 5, third drive longest was third and 6, fourth drive longest was third and one. That was the first half.

Third and 8 = punt
Third and 7 = punt
Third and 7 = punt

They didn’t convert one third down over 6 yards. The issue in the first half was entirely early down execution letting them stay on schedule way too easily.

Yes, we didn't win 2nd down very much last night.

GoldenToTheGrave · Oct 18, 2026

IrishLax said:
This is literally the most unkind thing I have ever heard Brice say about a coach:

Yikes.

Shit like this was happening a lot more at USC last year in the first quarter, much more than it looked on the broadcast (I was at the game). I seem to remember it happening a lot earlier last year too.

NDFAN2008 · Oct 18, 2026

John also agrees that it’s crazy we played 3 WR’s yesterday over 70 snaps each. Faison was asking to come out the last drive because he was out of gas, what the hells gonna happen if one of our 3 get injured. Need to start getting 2-3 other guys more reps in the games. Need fresh bodies. Hell Jeremiah Smith is only playing like 30-40 snaps a game.

PutuporShutup · Oct 18, 2026

I can’t believe how passive we were with our scheme and calls last night except for when we needed to have someone in the middle of the field (byu last td) we play cover 0.

Freeman and ash have to make a lot of changes with the scheme but I don’t think they will make the right personnel ones as well. When tae is back healthy shuler needs to see his PT drastically reduced. No reason to play Ausberry. Bowen can not be in on passing downs. If we play soft zone vs Miami Mensah will pick us apart.

If you want to see how slow Bowen is, watch him blitz unaccounted for on byu’s last td. If he was going close to the same speed as talich, bear has a much harder time making that throw. Or the rb picks up Bowen and talich is free to disrupt the play. Bowen started blitzing ahead of talich and was so hesitant slow and late. Just pathetic from him.

NormND_44 · Monday at 9:44 AM

There is just ZERO excuse for a defense with our level of experience to be confused pre-snap.

VG level bad.

ndfanatic78 · Monday at 9:49 AM

irishff1014 said:
He has a lot of work to do himself.

The fact that if either of his coordinators is having a bad game he can’t step in and do anything to actually readjust to what’s happening on the field is very disappointing. His only quality is team management which is very very important but I don’t trust him at all to be able to impact a game once it’s begun minus cheerleading. Please tell me wrong. I loved the hire but it appears he hasn’t developed at all as a game day coach.

NDFAN2008 · Monday at 9:51 AM

NormND_44 said:
There is just ZERO excuse for a defense with our level of experience to be confused pre-snap.

VG level bad.

Doesn't that lie on the captains? Whose the guy in charge of lining up the defense?

ndfanatic78 · Monday at 9:53 AM

NormND_44 said:
There is just ZERO excuse for a defense with our level of experience to be confused pre-snap.

VG level bad.

The fact that I heard the coaches said that BYU threw new things at them that wasn’t on tape and the misdirection really caught them is just maddening to hear. Why didn’t NDs offense have ANY new looks at all? Why couldn’t NDs defense handle misdirection? Why the hell are they playing zone so much? That whole game was coaching malpractice.

pumpdog20 · Monday at 9:55 AM

NormND_44 said:
There is just ZERO excuse for a defense with our level of experience to be confused pre-snap.

VG level bad.

I'm loving the "they did things we didn't see on film" stuff too. They've had five games you can scout.

Maybe they really "Denbrock must be holding back" over there at BYU. We should try it.

IRISHDODGER · Monday at 9:57 AM

IrishLax said:
This is literally the most unkind thing I have ever heard Brice say about a coach:

Yikes.

Agreed. And he @ both ND football & MF

Jiggafini19Deux · Monday at 9:59 AM

NDFAN2008 said:
John also agrees that it’s crazy we played 3 WR’s yesterday over 70 snaps each. Faison was asking to come out the last drive because he was out of gas, what the hells gonna happen if one of our 3 get injured. Need to start getting 2-3 other guys more reps in the games. Need fresh bodies. Hell Jeremiah Smith is only playing like 30-40 snaps a game.

Great. Has nothing to do with Chris Ash.

BleedBlueGold · Monday at 9:59 AM

Dale said:
Ash has good third down packages. The issue is they were rarely in third and 7+

First drive longest distance was third and 5, third drive longest was third and 6, fourth drive longest was third and one. That was the first half.

Third and 8 = punt
Third and 7 = punt
Third and 7 = punt

They didn’t convert one third down over 6 yards. The issue in the first half was entirely early down execution letting them stay on schedule way too easily.

ISD covered this in the pregame podcast that BYU is hyper efficient. They are excellent when on schedule and terrible when off schedule. The problem that I have with Ash is that he did nothing to get them off schedule on 1st and 2nd down. Everyone knew that's the recipe and Ash was like, "Nah, I'm good."

IA4irish · Monday at 10:14 AM

Having 36 hours to reflect, I come away even more upset with Ash and the defensive coaches for Saturday night. Freeman is ultimately responsible as well. The whole “they threw in things we hadn’t seen” is just infuriating. Every good team should do some things you haven’t seen - you have to be able to adapt and change to that. The amount of easy throws Bachmeier had with d-backs giving 7 yard cushions was ridiculous. How you can take the amount of talent we have on defense and make them look completely lost is beyond me. Ash is a fraud who capitalizes on teams with barely a pulse

TNUtoNotreDame · Monday at 10:18 AM

IA4irish said:
Having 36 hours to reflect, I come away even more upset with Ash and the defensive coaches for Saturday night. Freeman is ultimately responsible as well. The whole “they threw in things we hadn’t seen” is just infuriating. Every good team should do some things you haven’t seen - you have to be able to adapt and change to that. The amount of easy throws Bachmeier had with d-backs giving 7 yard cushions was ridiculous. How you can take the amount of talent we have on defense and make them look completely lost is beyond me. Ash is a fraud who capitalizes on teams with barely a pulse

It was a disgusting game plan and total chaos. The 7 yard cushions were so easily fixed, but he did not even when shown it was not working. We got zero pressure and had no creativity to get pressure.

Ash should be gone. It was a stupid hire from start and made no sense.

NotKoon · Monday at 10:26 AM

I said it after TAMU last year and I’ll say it again now.

ND’s program defining hire was seeing a young upstart becuase they saw his potential. They were willing to take a risk and go through some growing pains and it paid off.

That same young upstart than turned around and passed over someone with a very similar description. He went the “safe” route and it blew up in his face

Jiggafini19Deux · Monday at 10:32 AM

I don't think Leonard Moore is healthy. Losing Traore after the third play of the game certainly didn't help matters either.

ND has lost three games with Ash as DC. All of them big games against quality opponents. This is worth noting because if Miami is also a debacle, a lot of equity that has been built among the fan base is going to flush fast.

Free Manera · Monday at 10:47 AM

pumpdog20 said:
I'm loving the "they did things we didn't see on film" stuff too. They've had five games you can scout.

Maybe they really "Denbrock must be holding back" over there at BYU. We should try it.

This is infuriating on two levels. 1. the defense wasn't ready, but 2. did ND do things BYU hadn't seen on film? Either BYU has a Connor Stallions or ND did the same shit they did all year and BYU was ready. (It's the latter).

NDFAN2008 · Monday at 10:50 AM

Free Manera said:
This is infuriating on two levels. 1. the defense wasn't ready, but 2. did ND do things BYU hadn't seen on film? Either BYU has a Connor Stallions or ND did the same shit they did all year and BYU was ready. (It's the latter).

Yeah I think ND went into this game thinking they could do enough to just run it and take a shot here and there and that would work. They were banking on the defense holding BYU under 21. Problem is teams who have shown a high safety we have struggled on offense against.

2013Irish · Monday at 10:55 AM

I know people have mixed feelings on him, but Goolsby had an interesting perspective on this. Ash can put guys in a position to succeed, but ultimately he doesn't have BYU's playsheet.

At some point, it's incumbent upon players to play smart and make plays/cause havoc. Greathouse did it despite Denbrock's playcalling. Talich did the same despite Ash. If you're a dawg like all these dudes claim to be, you sometimes got to just ball in big games.

Chris "Belt To" Ash - Defensive Coordinator

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