Chris Ash Names Bill Busch Defensive Backs Coach
Dec 29 | Football
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - Rutgers head football coach Chris Ash named Bill Busch defensive backs coach, it was announced today. Busch, who will focus on coaching the safeties, has spent over a decade as an assistant in the Big Ten Conference, previously working with Ash at Ohio State.
"Bill is a veteran Big Ten coach and I am fortunate to have him at Rutgers," said Ash. "Bill brings with him a wealth of experience and has built a reputation as a great recruiter. We worked together at Ohio State and he knows our defense and how I want the secondary to be coached."
Busch spent the 2015 season at Ohio State handling quality control on defense. Prior to joining the Buckeyes, he worked for two seasons as the safeties coach at Wisconsin. Busch also assisted with the Badger's special teams unit. In his first season at Wisconsin, Busch helped lead a defensive backfield that ranked 17th nationally in passing defense and tied for 13th in passing yards per attempt in 2013.
Busch arrived at Wisconsin after spending four seasons at Utah State. In his first two seasons (2009-10), Busch served as defensive coordinator before taking over as safeties and special teams coach during the 2011-12 seasons. Busch was also promoted associate head coach.
In 2004, Busch returned to Nebraska for his second stint with the Huskers, coaching the outside linebackers and serving as special teams coordinator. He previously worked as a graduate assistant at Nebraska from 1990-93. Busch moved over to coach the safeties and continued to handle special teams duties in 2005-07.
During his tenure, the Huskers blocked 16 kicks, including seven in 2005. Nebraska ranked in the top 25 nationally in net punting (24th in 2006) and punt returns (17th in 2005) under Busch, as well. NU's kickoff coverage unit ranked 15th nationally in 2006 after finishing 22nd the previous year.
Busch coached the secondary at Utah from 2001-03, spending a season under head coach Urban Meyer. Utah boasted one of the top defenses in the Mountain West Conference in 2003 to help the Utes to a 10-2 record and their first outright conference title since 1957. Utah's 10 victories that season tied the then-school record and its No. 21 final national ranking in both polls was the school's highest since 1994. The secondary ranked second in the Mountain West and 27th nationally in pass efficiency defense, as Utah surrendered just nine passing touchdowns in 12 games.
In 2001, Utah ranked 17th nationally in pass efficiency defense while earning an 8-4 overall record that concluded with a victory over USC in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Before his three seasons at Utah, Busch spent four years at New Mexico State where he coached the defensive backs. His first full-time coaching job was at Northern Arizona where he was the secondary coach in 1995 and 1996. Busch also served as the co-defensive coordinator in 1996.
Busch, a Pender, Neb., native, earned his bachelor's degree in education from Nebraska Wesleyan in 1988. He added a master's degree in 1990 from Nebraska-Kearney.
