Notre Dame's Chris Ash hiring a solid, logical choice for new defensive coordinator

Notre Dame brought its defensive coordinator search to an end on Wednesday, hiring longtime defensive coach Chris Ash to the position, according to Pete Thamel of ESPN.

Ash isn't a flashy, buzzy type of hire, but he's exactly the kind of coordinator who could be a perfect fit in South Bend.

Ash is a longtime coaching veteran, with experience at virtually every level of the sport. He's been co-defensive coordinator on a national championship defense at Ohio State in 2014, led two Big Ten championship units at Wisconsin, and helmed defenses at both Arkansas and Texas. He had an ill-fated run as Rutgers head coach, in which he went 8-32, but has a proven track record of success in the college ranks.

Most recently, Ash has been working as a position coach and scout in the NFL, working with the Jaguars and Raiders before returning to Jacksonville last season as a scout.

He's joining a team that figures to have an elite unit once more in 2025. The Irish have a plethora of returning talent on the defensive side of the ball, and a cadre of talented position coaches to help out. On top of that, head coach Marcus Freeman is an elite defensive mind, and remains the driving force behind the Irish's defense.

Ash has typically run a 4-2-5 defense, which will give the Irish some schematic versatility next season. They tend to be fairly aggressive on the pass rush, and good at generating pressure on quarterbacks. Freeman's defenses have also been 4-2-5 and 3-3-5, and Ash's aggressiveness rushing the passer could help this team generate more pressure from different places than they did before.

Putting an experienced defensive coordinator in this position is a perfectly logical move for Freeman and the Irish. Ash has shown himself capable of stepping in and working with a variety of different coaches, and he can very capably pick up the baton where Al Golden left off and keep the train on the tracks.

He may not improve the defense too much, but he's not going to negatively impact it, either. With the talent and staff around him, he'll be a solid, reliable asset as Freeman and the Irish look to continue their push to the next level.

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