Ash Makes Strong First Impression
Dec 07 | Football
Press Conference Photo Gallery
By Tom Luicci
ScarletKnights.com
PISCATAWAY, N.J. - If Chris Ash needed any final convincing to make the Rutgers job his first head football coaching assignment after 19 years as a high-profile assistant - most recently as Ohio State's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach - it was provided by one of his children.
"My son, Tanner, has been great. He had two questions about Rutgers before I took this job," Ash said. "(The) first thing he said was, `Dad, can we win?'
"I said, `Yeah, we can win.'
"And the only other thing he cared about (was) `Can we get ranked sometime, Dad?'
"I said, `Yeah, we can get ranked.'
"And he said, `Take the job.' So we did."
Ash, 41, was formally introduced as the 30th head coach in the school's 146-year football history on Monday at a press conference at the Hale Center, agreeing to a five-year contract. Flanked by Rutgers University President Dr. Robert Barchi and Director of Athletics Pat Hobbs, Ash vowed to provide "positive energy around this program."
A former defensive back at Drake University, Ash has served as the Buckeyes' co-defensive coordinator the past two seasons, helping oversee a unit that carried Ohio State to the national championship in 2014. Prior to that he was the defensive coordinator at both Arkansas and Wisconsin and served as defensive backs coach and recruiting coordinator at Iowa State and San Diego State.
Hobbs said the in-person interview with Ash separated him from a list of several good candidates.
"(I) interviewed a number of candidates and after filtering through that I will tell you it just became clear very early in that process that Chris Ash was the right person," said Hobbs. "In 25 years in higher education, he's the single-best interview I've had with any individual. And I say that not because it was a polished interview technique.
"He is the person that came to this with the most knowledge of Rutgers and where we are, with a plan in his head for how we were going to attack this and what we were going to do; with clear thoughts about the type of staff that would have to be put together. If I could have recorded that interview I would play it for people just to say `if you want to interview for a job and you want to know how to prepare for a job, this is what you do.' "
Barchi said he came away similarly impressed with Ash, terming him "the right person for the job."
"I'm just thrilled that Chris is the one who is going to come and lead our football program from what I think is really a transitional, pivotal point in Rutgers history moving forward to a new chapter in our athletic program," he added.
Ash said he met with the returning players at 7 a.m. on Monday and planned to meet with the assistant coaches following the press conference. He will shuttle between Columbus, Ohio, and Piscataway the next few weeks to finish his coaching obligations with Fiesta Bowl-bound Ohio State. The Buckeyes face Notre Dame on Jan. 1.
"I guess it's been a hot topic but I wouldn't do it any other way," he said. "If I had an opportunity to become a head coach, the reason I have that opportunity is because of the people at Ohio State. (OSU athletic director) Gene Smith has been tremendous to me and my family.
"I can't say enough about what (Ohio State) coach (Urban) Meyer has done for me. Those players there have been unbelievable, and I would not feel right if I didn't help them finish the job that I started. I would ask the same of any assistant coach that would be in my program that would have the same opportunity, and I'm going to go back and help those guys try to finish out the right way.
"I've witnessed this three different times. When I was at Wisconsin, Dave Doeren took the Northern Illinois job when we were going to the Rose Bowl (and) he finished out. I watched Paul Chryst get the Pittsburgh job when we were going to the Rose Bowl and I watched him finish it out. And last year, Tom Herman got the Houston job when we were in the playoff run and I watched him finish it out.
"I understand it will be a challenge, but I'm up to the task and I can promise all Rutgers fans and players that the days that I'm back in Columbus to help with the preparations for the bowl game will not take away from what we're trying to build here."
Ash declined to set any immediate goals on the field when asked about them, saying instead that, "I want to build a first-class program at the university and (know that) the state and the people that live here and support us are happy and proud to say they are part of the Rutgers football program. That's what I want at the end of the day."
Though he has served exclusively on the defensive side of the ball during his coaching and playing days, Ash has a clear idea of what he wants Rutgers to be offensively - though he did not go into specifics. The Scarlet Knights have generally been a pro-style offense the past 15 seasons.
"As a defensive coach, I faced a lot of different types of offenses, and I know what I want to see offensively," he said. "I know what hurts defenses. I know what I don't want to see each week.
"I can tell you this about the offense: We'll have an offense that can score points. It's going to be exciting and it's going to be fun to watch and it's going to be one that players are going to want to be a part of and fans are going to want to watch and show up every Saturday on the field. We're going to be multiple. We're going to have several different ways to attack a defense and that's about where I'll leave it."
He said he will start to put together a coaching staff as soon as possible, starting with the offensive and defensive coordinators.
