Notre Dame is set to hire Chris Ash as its new defensive coordinator, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz. Ash takes over from Al Golden, who left to join the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL.
Ash gained recognition as Ohio State’s defensive coordinator under Urban Meyer in 2014, helping lead the team to a national title. He later spent four seasons at Rutgers but was dismissed after posting an 8-32 record, which included three winless conference campaigns.
Ash moved on to Texas in 2020 as defensive coordinator under Tom Herman before transitioning to the NFL. He also worked in secondary coaching roles and spent the 2024 season with the Jacksonville Jaguars in a personnel position. His coaching experience includes stints as defensive coordinator at Wisconsin and Arkansas, as well as recruiting coordinator at Iowa State.
Ash joins a Notre Dame team that recently went 14-2 and reached the College Football Playoff National Championship. The Fighting Irish set a program record for wins and became the first team to win two bowl games in a season, though they lost 34-23 to Ohio State in the title game.
Ash’s path mirrors that of Golden, who also moved to the NFL after a mixed head coaching tenure at Miami. Golden spent six years in the NFL before joining Marcus Freeman’s staff at Notre Dame, where the defense flourished under his leadership, ranking No. 11 nationally and boasting the top opposing passer rating in the country. His success ultimately caught the attention of NFL teams.