Chris Ash

Biography

Chris Ash earned his undergraduate degree from Drake in 1996, and was a two-time letterwinner at defensive back for the Bulldogs. He completed his first season as the Bob Hinton Defensive Coordinator with Notre Dame in 2025, where the Irish defense ranked fourth in total passes intercepted (21), ninth in team passing efficiency defense (168.6) and tenth in defensive touchdowns (3). Notre Dame was eleventh among FBS programs in scoring defense (17.6 points per game) and in the top 25 in team sacks (16th – 2.83), first downs defense (20th – 216), turnovers gained (21st – 23) and total defense (22nd – 313.5). Ash spent eight years in the Big Ten Conference, including four as a defensive coordinator with four Big Ten championships, and previously served as head coach at Rutgers from 2016-19. He has extensive experience at major programs including Ohio State, where his defenses ranked in the top 10 nationally, Texas, and the NFL with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders.